Have you been keeping up with - or swept up in - the current nationwide weight loss craze?

Ever wonder why your insurance company isn’t really helping reimburse costs associated with semaglutide or tirzepatide?

Here’s some sobering news for you: your insurance company doesn’t want you to get better.

Why not, you might ask?

Because their system isn’t built to be profitable if you become healthy. They only make money if you’re sick. So if you’re trying to increase your quality of life in ways that don’t add to their bottom line, you’re on your own. The crazy thing is, people are calling their bluff more than ever.

Even if this isn’t the first time you’ve come across this opinion, my guess is that you’re seeing its consequences at an unprecedented level.

Swimming upstream against a system whose major players have done everything they can to squash change isn’t for the weak-willed. But a few bright spots are getting too intense to ignore, either.

If losing weight is your first step to a higher quality of life, I’m sure you’re asking: Where are these bright spots, and how can you capitalize on them? Here are a few ideas to consider.

1. Screen Your Help: Find a clinic that prescribes these medications as only one part of a bigger, holistic approach to maintaining a high level of health. Too many practitioners are looking to make quick money by prescribing and doing nothing else. They bypass all the usual checkpoints to make sure patients are doing everything they’re supposed to before resorting to these medications. Feel free to do research to see who is monitoring the right readings and is committed to your long term returns, not just quick weight loss. Weight loss that is too rapid can cause malnutrition, skin folds, and weakened bones.

2. Start with You First: You can’t afford to outsource your health to other people without contributing on your own. It’s up to you to learn and apply principles for establishing and maintaining your health. Yes, there are technical concepts only a healthcare professional can explain. But you should never be uninformed or undisciplined. Diet, exercise, and learning are within everyone’s reach. Do your part to become a curious learner with a bias to action.

3. Shape Your Environment: Individual discipline and initiative can only go so far. As James Clear says: we don’t rise to the level of our challenges. We fall to the level of our systems. Therefore, your wisest action is to design your home and work environments in such a way that removes temptations entirely and incentivizes your desired routine. You can also build a community of like-minded people committed to helping each other thrive. Lunch bunch is not a new idea, but it’s a great opportunity to refine your cooking skills, connect with others, and try foods you wouldn’t have otherwise.

One last thought: physical health is only one part of your well-being. Maintaining good mental health requires a different set of resources, but in either case, a good coach can move you forward. Even if you don’t hire me, I hope you’ll find someone you are excited to partner with.

If you’re curious to learn more, Jen Gaudet and I discuss all this in more detail in her show Vital Signs. I hope our episode pays dividends in your life!