"I No Longer Think GLP-1s Are the Answer — The drugs "work" but may be working against us long-term"

[Anonymous]

https://www.medpagetoday.com/opinion/second-opinions/114009?xid=nl_secondopinion_2025-12-28&mh=994f7011fa46c19ba64cd583abbf740f&zdee=gAAAAABm4vinTcC7LOQzIy2Ce4xeHQwDZ-4JgY601zrLicXGpCd9RUPrCQ7odrx7tPg11nNXblqz5qWbaN9yCNwO2PvGhMoT1bKHhsHsdM4a-Z8-GVDLzHs%3D&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=WeekendOpinions_122825&utm_term=NL_Gen_Int_SecondOpinion_Active

To be clear I have nothing against people using a drug that is proven safe to lose weight, but this doctor's perspective (he previously thought of these as miracle drugs) really resonated with me based on the experience of family members that have use the drugs. If you can afford to use them indefinitely, great, but if not it seems like they can easily do more harm than good.

[Anonymous]

There's no way we have enough long term data for the author to proclaim what he does here.

[Anonymous]

I suggest you read his X account to get a balanced view on what he is saying.

[Anonymous]

GLP-1s result in more long-term weight loss than diet and exercise alone, which has something like a 90-95% regain rate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GLP-1s result in more long-term weight loss than diet and exercise alone, which has something like a 90-95% regain rate.

Most people regain a significant portion of weight lost after stopping GLP-1 drugs, often around two-thirds of the total loss within a year, with studies showing roughly 80% regain at least 25% of lost weight and some regaining all of it. While many sustain some weight loss, often around 5-10%, the benefits to heart health and metabolism can reverse as weight returns, highlighting that these medications treat a chronic condition and often require long-term use.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GLP-1s result in more long-term weight loss than diet and exercise alone, which has something like a 90-95% regain rate.

Most people regain a significant portion of weight lost after stopping GLP-1 drugs, often around two-thirds of the total loss within a year, with studies showing roughly 80% regain at least 25% of lost weight and some regaining all of it. While many sustain some weight loss, often around 5-10%, the benefits to heart health and metabolism can reverse as weight returns, highlighting that these medications treat a chronic condition and often require long-term use.

Right, this is the same or better than weight loss through diet and exercise.

[Anonymous]

My doctor told me “you will have to be on it for life.”

That article provides zero insight while trying to sound like it does. Of course you gain the weight back if you go off the drug. I gained all of the weight back when I stopped counting WW points too. This is how weight management works. The author of this article isn’t a very good doctor if they suddenly had some kind of epiphany with regard to this.

[Anonymous]

I do not understand why he is griping about what the long-term consequence is. Is it better to be 150 lbs than 300 lbs? What is healthier? We drugged people with OxyContin for decades for short-term pain relief, but now he is worried about what if in the future.
How about people who are now eating less will develop a habit of eating less and live longer? How about, oh crap, I am full from 1/2 cup of mashed, but did I eat 2 lbs of it before?
I now take migraine meds, which are a lifesaver. Previously, I was addicted to Ibuprofen and prone to losing sight, having auras, and just dying from pain. I gained some weight from these meds, so what? I will not swerve the car if an aura hits suddenly, and people will live bcs I no longer have to pull over and stay somewhere for hours if I have a migraine coming on.
They are not doing more harm than good, these meds.
And what is that BS about harming our economy??? Since when has anyone cared about some pill harming the economy?
This is a second opinion and should stay his opinion. Overweight people need these meds, and these meds are making a huge difference in the lives of many. Should I stop my migraine medicine bcs maybe they will not work when I am 80?????
I am not overweight, I am not on these drugs, I could use to lose 10 lbs, for those that will come back at me to call me names and how I am weak, not weak when it comes to eating, doing good on my own, but hate preachers!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GLP-1s result in more long-term weight loss than diet and exercise alone, which has something like a 90-95% regain rate.

Most people regain a significant portion of weight lost after stopping GLP-1 drugs, often around two-thirds of the total loss within a year, with studies showing roughly 80% regain at least 25% of lost weight and some regaining all of it. While many sustain some weight loss, often around 5-10%, the benefits to heart health and metabolism can reverse as weight returns, highlighting that these medications treat a chronic condition and often require long-term use.

Right, this is the same or better than weight loss through diet and exercise.

You can do diet and exercise for free and certainly less than the hundreds of dollars per month the drugs cost without insurance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I suggest you read his X account to get a balanced view on what he is saying.

NP is this OP? Who is this directed to? Please don't give us HW assignments on DCUM. Lot's of us don't use X for obvious reasons. Another strike against this doctor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GLP-1s result in more long-term weight loss than diet and exercise alone, which has something like a 90-95% regain rate.

Most people regain a significant portion of weight lost after stopping GLP-1 drugs, often around two-thirds of the total loss within a year, with studies showing roughly 80% regain at least 25% of lost weight and some regaining all of it. While many sustain some weight loss, often around 5-10%, the benefits to heart health and metabolism can reverse as weight returns, highlighting that these medications treat a chronic condition and often require long-term use.

Right, this is the same or better than weight loss through diet and exercise.

You can do diet and exercise for free and certainly less than the hundreds of dollars per month the drugs cost without insurance.

You lose waaaay more weight on a GLP-1 though. It’s not revolutionary for a chronic illness to require lifelong treatment. No one claims my thyroid medicine is a failure even though my Hashimoto’s means the second I stop taking meds my levels will be abnormal again.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GLP-1s result in more long-term weight loss than diet and exercise alone, which has something like a 90-95% regain rate.

Most people regain a significant portion of weight lost after stopping GLP-1 drugs, often around two-thirds of the total loss within a year, with studies showing roughly 80% regain at least 25% of lost weight and some regaining all of it. While many sustain some weight loss, often around 5-10%, the benefits to heart health and metabolism can reverse as weight returns, highlighting that these medications treat a chronic condition and often require long-term use.

Right, this is the same or better than weight loss through diet and exercise.

You can do diet and exercise for free and certainly less than the hundreds of dollars per month the drugs cost without insurance.

NP. We have decades of hard data demonstrating that diet and exercise alone as an approach to permanent weight loss is an abject failure. The regain stats are like 90% or so for under five years and higher than that for more than five years.

If the GLPs have a regain stat of 80%, that’s still better statistically than diet and exercise alone

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:GLP-1s result in more long-term weight loss than diet and exercise alone, which has something like a 90-95% regain rate.

Most people regain a significant portion of weight lost after stopping GLP-1 drugs, often around two-thirds of the total loss within a year, with studies showing roughly 80% regain at least 25% of lost weight and some regaining all of it. While many sustain some weight loss, often around 5-10%, the benefits to heart health and metabolism can reverse as weight returns, highlighting that these medications treat a chronic condition and often require long-term use.

Right, this is the same or better than weight loss through diet and exercise.

You can do diet and exercise for free and certainly less than the hundreds of dollars per month the drugs cost without insurance.

You lose waaaay more weight on a GLP-1 though. It’s not revolutionary for a chronic illness to require lifelong treatment. No one claims my thyroid medicine is a failure even though my Hashimoto’s means the second I stop taking meds my levels will be abnormal again.

My insurance covers my thyroid medicine.

It seems to me that losing 50.lbs quickly and then regaining 45 lbs quickly is worse than never having lost the weight at all. Again, if you can afford to stay on the GLP-1 and it works for you, great! But I agree with this doctor that for the many, many people that don't plan to stay on it for life it can do more harm than goodm

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I suggest you read his X account to get a balanced view on what he is saying.

NP is this OP? Who is this directed to? Please don't give us HW assignments on DCUM. Lot's of us don't use X for obvious reasons. Another strike against this doctor.

This was not me. I don't use X
-OP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:GLP-1s result in more long-term weight loss than diet and exercise alone, which has something like a 90-95% regain rate.

If one does diet and exercise as a lifestyle change it’s permanent. If one does it to reach some goal it’s temporary.