MEDICAL
BREAKTHROUGHS
(WAKA)
–
Whether
they’re
using
weekly
shots
or
daily
pills,
more
Americans
than
ever
are
turning
to
anti-obesity
drugs
to
lose
weight
and
boost
health.

FILE
–
Pedestrians
take
in
the
warmer
than
normal
temperatures
near
the
North
Avenue
Beach
Pier
along
Lake
Michigan
Feb.
26,
2024,
in
Chicago.
(AP
Photo/Charles
Rex
Arbogast,
FIle)

About
1
in
8
U.S.
adults
say
they
are
taking
a
GLP-1
drug,
according
to
a
recent
survey
by
the
health
research
group
KFF.

Just
since
January,
more
than
600,000
prescriptions
have
been
written
for
Novo
Nordisk’s
new
Wegovy
pill,
the
company
said.
Early
analysis
suggests
that
more
than
a
third
of
users
are
new
to
the
drugs,
according
to
Truveta,
a
health
care
data
company.

But
medication
alone
isn’t
the
answer,
experts
caution.
It
also
takes
lifestyle
changes
—
healthy
diet,
exercise,
adequate
sleep
and
stress
management
—
to
reap
the
biggest
benefits
from
the
drugs
known
as
GLP-1s.

“The
biggest
mistake
people
make
with
GLP-1
medications
is
thinking
the
prescription
is
the
treatment,”
said
Dr.
Katherine
Saunders,
an
obesity
medicine
expert
at
Weill
Cornell
Medicine
and
co-founder
of
FlyteHealth,
a
weight-loss
treatment
company.

GLP-1s
can
spur
weight
loss
and
health
benefits
on
their
own,
but
the
effects
are
larger
and
last
longer
when
the
drugs
are
combined
with
lifestyle
changes,
a
recent
review
of
nearly
three
dozen
studies
found.

Here’s
what
experts
say
you
should
know
about
GLP-1
drugs
and
healthy
habits:

It’s
not
all
about
weight

Obesity
is
a
big
driver
of
chronic
disease,
including
conditions
such
as
heart
disease
and
diabetes.
But
the
focus
should
be
overall
health
and
not
just
the
numbers
on
a
scale,
said
Dr.
Jody
Dushay,
an
endocrinologist
and
obesity
expert
at
Harvard
Medical
School.

“Health
is
what
you
eat,
how
much
you
move
your
body,
what
is
your
blood
sugar,
what
is
your
blood
pressure,
what
is
your
cholesterol,”
she
said.
“All
of
those
things
are
really
important.”

The
GLP-1
drugs
work
by
targeting
hormones
in
the
gut
and
brain
that
slow
digestion
and
target
appetite
and
feelings
of
fullness.
That
effect
“levels
the
playing
field,”
said
Saunders,
making
it
easier
to
adopt
healthy
habits
like
eating
less
and
moving
more.

“Social
media
and
advertising
sometimes
create
the
impression
that
these
medications
are
a
quick
fix,
but
obesity
is
a
complex,
chronic,
progressive
disease”
that
requires
ongoing
medical
management,
she
added.

What
does
research
show
about
GLP-1s
and
lifestyle
changes?

The
clinical
trials
of
anti-obesity
medications
like
Wegovy
and
Zepbound
included
structured
lifestyle
programs
along
with
the
medication,
which
are
advised
along
with
every
new
prescription.

That
results
not
only
in
significant
weight
loss,
but
improved
health
markers.

A
February
study
of
more
than
98,000
U.S.
military
veterans
found
that
those
who
used
a
GLP-1
and
adhered
to
six
to
eight
healthy
habits
had
a
43%
lower
risk
of
serious
cardiovascular
events
such
as
stroke
and
heart
attack
than
those
who
didn’t
use
the
drugs
and
followed
three
or
fewer
such
habits.

Lifestyle
habits
“can
substantially
amplify
the
benefits
of
modern
medications”
noted
Dr.
Frank
Hu,
a
lead
author
and
chair
of
the
nutrition
department
at
the
Harvard
T.H.
Chan
School
of
Public
Health.

Which
changes
are
most
important?

To
maximize
the
benefits
of
GLP-1s
and
reduce
potential
side
effects
like
nausea,
vomiting,
constipation
and
muscle
loss,
Dushay
and
other
experts
offer
specific
advice.

Maintain
muscle
by
eating
20
grams
to
30
grams
of
protein
per
meal,
which
could
include
fish,
poultry,
yogurt
and
beans.
Eat
more
fiber
and
drink
more
water
—
as
much
as
8
to
12
cups
a
day.
If
heartburn
or
nausea
is
a
problem,
avoid
fried
foods
and
spicy
foods,
and
don’t
lie
down
after
meals.

Aim
for
150
minutes
of
aerobic
exercise
a
week,
or,
ideally,
about
an
hour
a
day.
Add
in
30
minutes
of
strength
training
two
or
three
times
a
week,
such
as
lifting
weights
or
using
resistance
bands.

Get
enough
sleep
—
seven
to
nine
hours
a
day
for
a
healthy
adult.
Take
steps
to
reduce
mental
and
emotional
stress.

Finally,
check
in
with
a
health
care
provider
about
your
progress.
The
GLP-1
drugs
can
have
rare
but
serious
side
effects,
the
experts
noted.

“Someone
really
does
need
to
keeping
track
of:
What
is
the
pace
of
your
weight
loss?
What
are
your
side
effects?
And
not
just
mailing
you
a
prescription
every
month,”
Dushay
said.

(Copyright
2026
The
Associated
Press.
All
rights
reserved.
This
material
may
not
be
published,
broadcast,
rewritten
or
redistributed.)

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