Are People Blind to the GLP-1 Weight Loss Opportunity?
(Or, are they risking blindness by taking these drugs?)
We are, once again, chasing a pharmaceutical promise.
Weekly injections. Rapid weight loss. Quieted cravings. A supposed miracle for modern bodies battling with ancient biology.
GLP-1 receptor agonists like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are being hailed as the dawn of a new era in obesity treatment. But before we crown this class of drugs as the answer to our metabolic crisis, we need to take a hard look at our history, our biology, and our patterns of collective blindness—including the very real, literal blindness they may cause.
Because this isn’t the first time we’ve celebrated a pharmaceutical “breakthrough” in the battle of the bulge.
And it won’t be the last time we’ve paid for it—dearly.
The Promise: A Shot at Simplicity
GLP-1 medications offer an elegant solution: they trick the body—by mimicking a natural hormone—into thinking it’s full. The result? Reduced appetite and increased feelings of satiety, especially helpful for people consuming nutrient-poor foods that trigger hunger, addiction, and cravings.
For many, that single injection turns down the food noise, curbs emotional eating, and delivers fast, noticeable results on the scale.
No wonder celebrities are raving. No wonder Wall Street is cheering.
But excitement is not insight. And fast is not free.
Before we get swept up in the promise, we’d do well to remember where we’ve been.
We’ve Been Here Before
As I wrote in The WILDFIT Way (Hay House, September 2025), the weight loss industry has a long history of miracle drugs that have made incredible promises and caused devastating outcomes.
Take Fen-Phen, the 1990s combo of fenfluramine and phentermine. It delivered dramatic weight loss… until it started destroying heart valves. The FDA pulled it in 1997, but not before irreversible damage—and billions in profits—had accumulated.
Sibutramine (Meridia) came next, promising appetite suppression via serotonin and norepinephrine. It increased heart attack and stroke risk. Removed from the market in 2010.
Orlistat (Xenical/Alli) attempted a different approach—blocking fat absorption. In practice? Greasy stools, digestive distress, and a general sense of regret. It’s still FDA-approved, but seldom used.
Lorcaserin (Belviq), launched in 2012, targeted serotonin receptors with new precision. Less than a decade later, it was pulled for cancer risk.
Qsymia, still on the market, combines phentermine and topiramate. It’s effective, but carries mood risks, strong warnings about birth defects, and limited trust outside specialist circles.
Each arrived as a solution.
Each ended as a cautionary tale.
But This Time Is Different... Right?
Today’s rising stars—semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro)—are backed by stronger science and smarter messaging. They mimic GLP-1, a hormone that tells your body it’s full and regulates blood sugar.
The results, for many, are dramatic:
Significant weight loss
Reduced A1C
Lower hunger and fewer cravings
So… what’s the problem?
Two Known Concerns (and a Serious New One).
1. The Side Effects Are Not Minor
Nausea. Vomiting. Diarrhea. Gallbladder issues. Emotional shifts. There are also open questions about long-term effects on the pancreas and thyroid.
And now, a far more serious concern: NAION—non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, a rare but irreversible form of vision loss.
In Denmark, NAION cases more than doubled after semaglutide’s release. The European Medicines Agency has issued warnings. The FDA, as of this writing, has not.
2. You Lose the Wrong Weight
These drugs reduce appetite so significantly that users often eat too little protein. The result? Weight loss includes substantial lean muscle mass—the very tissue that supports metabolism and long-term weight control.
When people stop taking the drug, they often regain the weight—but as fat, not muscle. They become heavier, weaker, and more metabolically fragile than before.
And that’s not all.
The Lawsuits Are Coming
As of mid-2025, nearly 2,000 lawsuits have been consolidated in U.S. federal court against Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. The fastest-growing category? NAION-related blindness.
The core allegations:
That these companies failed to disclose risks they knew—or should have known—from trials and post-marketing data.
That profit came before patient safety.
That patients were not given the opportunity for informed consent.
A few key cases:
Todd Engel, 62, prescribed Ozempic in 2023 for type 2 diabetes. Four months later, he was diagnosed with NAION. He is now legally blind in both eyes.
Edward Fanelli, 57, began Ozempic in 2022 and lost his vision eight months later. He can no longer work as a general contractor.
These cases are not isolated. Over 1,800 plaintiffs are seeking settlements between $200,000 and $1,000,000 each. That’s potentially over $1.8 billion in liabilities—and yet the companies’ stock prices have barely flinched.
A groundbreaking July 2024 study in JAMA Ophthalmology analyzed data from 16,800+ patients. The findings?
Semaglutide users with type 2 diabetes had 4.28x greater risk of NAION.
Users taking it for weight loss faced 7x the risk.
Appetite Suppression ≠ Nutritional Healing
Most modern eaters are already overfed and undernourished.
GLP-1s suppress quantity, not quality. Users often reduce intake of nutrient-dense foods—like proteins and vegetables—because they’re less emotionally rewarding.
So when the drug stops?
Old habits return.
Appetite returns.
The weight returns.
If you haven’t healed the relationship with food—biologically, psychologically, emotionally—the drug is just a pause button.
And when you unpause… the music starts again. Usually louder.
You Can Mimic GLP-1 Without the Side Effects
Here’s the good news: your body already knows how to do what GLP-1 drugs are trying to do.
At WILDFIT, we’ve been teaching clients for over a decade how to naturally stimulate GLP-1 production by aligning with human biology.
In WILDFIT Spring, we emphasize:
Nutrient-dense foods like meat, fish, eggs, and poultry
Avoidance of carbohydrate-rich “autumn” foods that trigger cravings
Eating patterns that trigger satiety and stabilize blood sugar—naturally
The result?
Internal hormone balance.
Natural appetite control.
Natural blood sugar regulation.
Natural release of weight.
No needles. No nausea. No blindness. No lawsuits.
In Summary:
GLP-1 drugs are the latest chapter in a long story of promises and pitfalls.
The real risk is not just the side effects—but the illusion that these drugs solve the problem.
The real opportunity is to use this moment as a wake-up call.
Instead of mimicking your own hormones with drugs,
Why not mimic the drugs with your own hormones?
Let’s not repeat the history of Fen-Phen, Meridia, and Belviq.
Let’s address the real issues:
Not just how much we eat, but what, why, and who we are when we do.
That’s the only weight-loss solution that ever worked in the long run.