Stuff on the game-changing GLP-1 and semaglutide weight loss drugs, and 6 steps to a healthy approach to weight loss and management. In a world where we are bombarded with social media influencers and celebrities offering their experiences, thoughts, and unsolicited advice to a large audience, there is no substitute for sound medical advice and a solid, evidence-based approach to weight loss and long-term weight management.
The ever-expanding range of prescription weight-loss drugs of GLP-1 and semaglutide has been fueled only by misinformation about the miracle cure, the magic pill. What the new weight loss drug is not is a simple, one-stop solution to a complex and often challenging lifestyle.
Here’s a brief overview of GLP-1 and semaglutide weight-loss drugs, their benefits, risks, and side effects, and a seven-step approach to determining whether a prescription weight-loss drug might be right for you.
A brief history/hopeful future
This class of drugs was developed in the early 2000s to treat type 2 diabetes. Later, in 2019, it was approved for the treatment of obesity. Since then, usage has increased by 700 percent. Currently, nearly 12 percent—that’s about one in eight Americans—have used these new proxies. According to Gallup’s recently released National Health and Wellness Index, obesity rates in the U.S. are expected to drop from 39.9 percent in 2022 to 37 percent in 2025, with nearly 7.6 million fewer Americans being obese.
As for the future of weight loss prescription drugs, in the first week after the launch of the new Vigoi pill in January of this year, it was prescribed to more than 18 thousand Americans, which is a clear sign of strong interest in this drug category. With the recent release of the latest World Health Organization guidelines for use in the fight against obesity, this category of drugs is likely to continue to grow. In addition, current studies also indicate the potential for effective treatment of heart and other conditions.
How this medicine works
Briefly, GLP-1 drugs (also called GLP-1 antagonists and/or glucagon-like peptides) mimic the naturally occurring GLP-1 hormone, which is released in the gut a few minutes after we eat. This hormone stimulates the release of insulin, which helps manage blood glucose levels and makes us feel full. The difference between the effect of our naturally occurring hormone and the drug is in the duration of the feeling of fullness.
The naturally occurring hormone signals fullness for a very short period of time, while the hormonal effects of weight loss drugs last much longer, resulting in decreased hunger, reduced food noise—intrusive thoughts and ruminations related to food and consumption—slowed stomach emptying, and reduced hunger.
Benefits and risks
The ability of this new weight loss drug to support weight loss is a clear, significant and indisputable benefit. The risks of obesity are widely recognized cardiovascular effects and type 2 diabetes, and less well known effects of chronic inflammation, mental health effects, including depression, low self-esteem, and anxiety, and other health conditions that negatively affect one’s quality of life and longevity. The significant reduction in obesity in American adults by 2022 (as mentioned earlier) stands as evidence for a key benefit of this drug. A 2024 study found positive effects on participants’ mental health, including increased control over eating habits and behaviors, including weight cycling, also known as the yo-yo diet.
Mild to serious side effects
Minor side effects of this medication include gastrointestinal discomfort (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and/or bloating). Of concern is the loss of muscle mass in individuals on this drug, although this can be reduced with diet and exercise. More serious, though rare, side effects include gastrointestinal disturbances and acute pancreatitis. Although very rare, a recent increase in deaths from pancreatitis associated with the use of GLP-1 drugs in the UK raises concerns. A recent study reports rapid weight gain after stopping a weight loss drug. Finally, a serious concern is the potential long-term and possibly life-long commitment to these drugs. Little is known about the long-term effects of these interventions.
There is no doubt that GLP-1 and semaglutide weight loss drugs offer people struggling with obesity a new sense of hope for a healthier future. Developing an understanding of how these drugs work in consultation with medical professionals, along with a lifelong commitment to overall health and wellness, is the key to successful long-term weight loss.
A healthy approach to long-term weight loss and management
Familiarize yourself with how GLP-1 and other new weight loss drugs work. (Rely on reliable sources, with expert views and commentary.) Talk to your GP about whether this category of medicine can help you achieve your weight management and health goals. Discuss your concerns and long-term goals. Set healthy, realistic and sustainable weight loss goals in consultation with your doctor. Commit to lifestyle changes, such as adding nutrient-dense foods to your diet, following an exercise regimen that includes resistance training to combat muscle loss, and ongoing monitoring of your progress by your clinician. Pay attention to your unhealthy habits and food-related habits. Since weight gain is often associated with negative thoughts, when we repeat our thoughts, we are able to persist.
Healthy habits and choices around food and nutrition.
Take care of your mental and physical health. Consult your doctor if you are struggling to cope with low mood, anxiety or lifestyle changes or intrusive thoughts. Your GP or family doctor can refer you to a mental health professional.
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