Decoding Change: The Weight-Loss Drug Is Only a Temporary Layover
For millions who have spent years trapped in a exhausting cycle of fad diets and frustrating plateaus, modern weight-loss medications have arrived as a breakthrough. These drugs deliver clear, measurable results where traditional calorie-counting often falls short, offering powerful assistance to people who felt they had exhausted every other option.
Yet, as the initial excitement settles, a crucial limitation has become clear: these medications only work for as long as you take them.
To gain fresh insight into this dilemma, let’s turn to the ancient wisdom of the I Ching (the Book of Changes). Welcome to Decoding Change, a live one-hour discussion series that examines today’s pressing questions through the timeless frameworks of the I Ching.
After using a traditional divination method with bamboo sticks, I received hexagram ䷀ 乾 (qián), symbolising pure force. The first, the second and the fifth line are changing, leading to hexagram ䷷ 旅 (lǚ), meaning sojourning.
These two hexagrams provide us a good framework to understand the situation. According to Zhu Xi from Song dynasty, when there are three lines changing in the original hexagram, we can seek guidance from the judgements of the two hexagrams, one being the original hexagram and the other the resulting one.
Hexagram Qian to hexagram Lü can be understood in the following way.
Weight-loss drugs are very effective, like a pure force (Hexagram Qian). However, when we localise these drugs in every and each person who takes them, a fundamental flaw is revealed, that these drugs operate like a temporary stay rather than a permanent home. These medications work by artificially suppressing appetite and slowing digestion, and stopping treatment almost always causes the weight to return.
When your health and physical form rely entirely on a weekly injection, you are not truly in control of your well-being. In other words, you are merely a traveler passing through a healthier body, renting results you don’t actually own. Hence the hexagram of Lü.
In the judgement of Lü, it says “small luck”. In deed, when we compare the benefits against the trade-offs, the joy of drug-induced weight loss begins to shrink.
To maintain a lower number on the scale, people must compromise one of life’s simple pleasures: the uninhibited joy of eating and savouring their favourite foods, which are often replaced by persistent nausea or lack of appetite. At the same time, the financial reality sets in. The economic burden of paying for continuous prescriptions, often costing hundreds to thousands of dollars a month, makes lifetime dependence unsustainable for many.
Ultimately, the framework I Ching gives us is that medical interventions offer an effective result, but the result is only temporary with a small gain.
If this sparks your interest, join the discussion.
This session is not about fortune-telling. It is an invitation to think creatively about a complex real-world situation while exploring fundamental concepts of the I Ching and how hexagrams are formed. Whether you are interested in using the weight-loss drugs or are already benefiting from them, or a cautious skeptic, or simply curious about ancient perspectives on modern challenges, the lens of I Ching offers fresh clarity on the forces at play—and the enduring power of ancient wisdom.
Details about this session is below:
Topic: The Weight-Loss Drug Is Only a Temporary Layover
- 3:00 PM - 4:00PM, October 23, 2026 (HK time)
- Online
- HKD 799 per person (Maximum 6 participants)
- Register before October 20, 2026.
Write to me (
The core concepts of I Ching—yin and yang and the 64 hexagrams—will be introduced. No prior knowledge required. Participants are invited to dive into a hands-on interpretive exercise.
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To learn more about Decoding Change: An Introduction to the I Ching’s Wisdom, click here: https://www.mslmaster.com/index.php/mandarin-lessons?view=article&id=253:decoding-change-an-introduction-to-the-i-chings-wisdom&catid=11
To see a list of all our Chinese courses, click here: https://www.mslmaster.com/index.php/mandarin-lessons
About the Author
April Zhang
April Zhang is the founder of MSL Master and she enjoys teaching and interacting with students. She constantly explores new and interesting ways of teaching Chinese through creative and imaginative activities.
With her help, many students have achieved outstanding result, which has enriched their understanding about China and has significantly contributed to their work.