Brendan O’Connor
RTE Radio 1
Food noise is the constant thoughts of food that dominate some people’s lives; they can’t stop thinking about it and they can’t stop eating said Pia Zain.
She thought everyone had “food noise”.
She was one of two guests on Brendan O’Connor who talked about how the ‘wonder drugs’ Ozempic and Wegovy have proved life changing.
Her struggle with weight and food began in her early childhood.
- Uncanny podcast review: Danny Robins delves into paranormal mysteries with spine-chilling storiesOpens in new window
- DNA testing: A baby swap and its devastating emotional fallout years later explored in ‘The Gift’Opens in new window
- A Belfast Haunting: Ghosts, grief and the troubled streets of Lower Falls – The chilling story of 91 Beechmount GroveOpens in new window
Her obesity and her obsession with food was “almost like a river of subconscious thought” running through her day – you plan your life around it.
When she took Ozempic, it was like someone had thrown a switch and turned it off: “It was like it disappeared.”
Bernie Walsh said the drug had helped her get her life back. She struggled with weight from her childhood - she had her clothes made for her confirmation.
She was 15-and-a-half stone at 15 and by the age of 21 was 20 stone.
She is a powerful woman who has lived a very full life but by her 50s, her problem was her health.
Taking Ozempic – prescribed for her diabetes - was not an easy option. In the beginning she struggled with sickness, but the weight loss was so fast that she kept going: “The whole difference in the way you look at food is fascinating.”
Read more: Popular diabetes and obesity drugs also protect kidneys, study suggests
Ozempic means the walking stick and the rollator she needed to get through her day are no longer necessary.
“It’s about health, about getting your life back,” she said.
The use of diet drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy is a hot topic – and one that prompts very strong and divided opinions.
But there is no doubt that for people struggling with obesity and the spectres of diabetes or heart disease, it’s a life changer.
O’Connor gave the women space to tell their stories and listened with empathy.
Read more: Nearly one in four Brits would take weight-loss jabs for free on NHS, poll finds
The message that obesity is a disease was clear.
Guest Dr Ruth Yoder who has years of experience working with people suffering from obesity said that the essential message is: “This is not your fault but it is your responsibility to manage it.”
And yes, there is a stigma around taking the diet drugs.
Bernie tends not to tell people – it’s the whole Hollywood thing, she said, as if you’re taking the easy route.
There is nothing easy about it. This was a powerful and thought provoking listen.
