Is Everyone on a GLP-1? The Barbecue Question That Made Me Think

Last night at a barbecue, a friend looked around and asked me a version of a question I hear more and more often: “Is everyone getting skinny because of GLP-1s?”

It made me laugh because it was such an honest question. She works out regularly, feels like she is doing a lot of the right things, and still feels like her body is not responding the way she expects.

The question behind the question

Usually, when someone asks me whether everyone else is on a GLP-1, they are really asking something more personal: If I am already exercising and trying to eat well, why is this still so hard for me? And could medication help?

Weight regulation is more complicated than willpower. Hunger and fullness signals, genetics, sleep, hormones, medications, metabolic health, age, stress, and many other factors can influence what happens on the scale.

What GLP-1 treatment can change

For appropriate patients, GLP-1-based treatment can reduce appetite and increase satiety. One of the things patients often describe is that food becomes quieter. They can still enjoy eating, but they are not fighting the same degree of hunger, cravings, or constant thoughts about food.

That does not replace nutrition, movement, sleep, or strength training. I think of medication as one possible tool that can make those healthy habits easier to sustain for the right person.

Does everyone need one?

No. I do not think every person who wants to lose a few pounds automatically needs medication, and I do not think anyone should start one simply because friends are using it.

The better question is whether it makes sense for that individual person: their health history, medications, weight trajectory, goals, risks, and what they have already tried.

What I wish people knew

You do not have to prove that you have struggled enough before you are allowed to ask about medical treatment. And you also do not have to start a medication just because it is popular.

Ask the question. Get good information. Then make a decision based on your own health—not on what everyone else at the barbecue appears to be doing.

— Dr. Nora Phillips, DNP, APRN