Do you have“Ozempic personality”?

Hi {{first_name}} -

The last two winters, once the holidays were over, I have locked myself in my house and not emerged until my birthday in March. (I am being a bit dramatic, but you get the point.) Basically, I get a severe case of the “blahs” paired with some seasonal depression, and really just don’t feel like socializing or doing much.

But seems like I am not alone. Last week, the Washington Post published an article about what has been coined as “Ozempic personality.” (You can also read this free Healthline article about it that isn’t behind a paywall)

Even if you haven’t heard the term, you might have felt it. Some people, like me, describe it as feeling a little… flat. Less interested in things they used to enjoy. Less excited. Less motivated. Just kind of “meh.”

There’s actually a name for this: anhedonia, a reduced ability to feel pleasure.

So what’s going on here?

First, it’s important to say: This is not an official, well-established side effect of these medications. It’s something that’s coming up in patient reports and conversations, not something that was flagged in major clinical trials.

In fact, the FDA actually removed the depression warning from GLP-1 medications after reviewing large-scale data and finding no increased risk, but that doesn’t mean people aren’t experiencing changes in how they feel.

GLP-1 medications don’t just affect appetite; they also interact with the brain. One of the biggest theories right now is that they influence dopamine, which is part of your brain’s reward system. These medications seem to “turn down the volume” on cravings, especially around food.

But dopamine doesn’t just drive hunger. It also plays a role in:

This means that not only will you have less interest in food, but also less interest in hobbies, socializing, or even relationships.

But this isn’t happening to everyone. In fact, a lot of research shows the opposite: many people experience improvements in mental health while on GLP-1 medications, including lower rates of depression and anxiety.

Here’s what I think. These medications reduce “food noise” and change how rewarding food feels. But food is one of the most immediate, reliable sources of dopamine in modern life.

So when you take that away… sometimes nothing replaces it. And if your overall intake is low, that can also impact energy, mood, and motivation.

If you are feeling this way, what can you do?

Look at your intake. Are you eating enough overall? Undereating can absolutely contribute to low mood and low drive.

Check your protein + nutrient intake. Deficiencies can show up as fatigue or apathy.

Zoom out beyond food. Are you intentionally building in other sources of reward (movement, social time, hobbies)?

Talk to your provider. Sometimes adjusting the dose can help.

The bottom line is the media likes to coin terms, but “Ozempic personality” isn’t a formal diagnosis, but something to look out for.

For me, once the sun comes out and the weather warms up, I feel like myself again, so maybe it’s just making my normal seasonal depression worse and more noticeable. I am curious, have you experienced this? Feel free to write me back and let me know.

On the podcast this week, I interviewed plastic surgeon Maryam Zamani about loose skin after weight loss and all the various procedures you can do to help improve the skin’s appearance. I also interviewed my wonderful colleague, Dr. Nina Crowley all about body composition and why it’s way more important than the number on the scale.

Over on YouTube, I posted a video about the new retatrutide study results and also a video about why you still might not be happy after losing the weight.