How do you explain to family members that a weight-loss medication isn't "the easy way out"?

A few things tend to land well: explaining that obesity is formally recognized as a chronic disease (by the Canadian Medical Association and others) rather than a personal failing, that the medication addresses real biological hunger and metabolic mechanisms rather than replacing effort, and that side effects and lifestyle adjustments (protein intake, exercise for muscle preservation, managing nausea) are still very much part of the process. Framing it as "medical treatment for a medical condition," similar to how they'd view blood pressure medication, tends to shift the conversation. References: https://obesitycanada.ca/healthcare-professionals/adult-clinical-practice-guideline/

Had this exact conversation with my mom, what worked was comparing it to any other maintenance medication instead of treating it like a shortcut. She got it once I framed it that way.