Recent findings emphasize the critical role of nutrition and lifestyle modifications in ensuring the long-term effectiveness of GLP-1 medications for weight management. Although these medications are effective, their use is fraught with risks. If you don’t adopt healthier eating and overall lifestyle patterns, you’ll pay a price in the long run—a heavy one. The new report, led by Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, provides a wealth of practical, evidence-based guidance for clinicians and patients alike. Its aim is to improve outcomes when adopting GLP-1 therapies.
GLP-1 medications like Wegovy and Zepbound have become widely known and discussed for their food-chaining effects that promote weight loss. Experts are cautioning that doubling down on the use of these drugs without matching lifestyle changes may lead to harmful consequences. Dr. Mozaffarian, the director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University, notes that, “The FDA says these drugs are approved for use as an adjunct to lifestyle therapy.” He further stresses the need for a more integrated approach, stating that “doctors are not following either society guidelines or FDA guidelines if they are prescribing GLP-1s without lifestyle therapy.”
The report suggests a number of strategies to make GLP-1 medications more effective and to distribute them fairly. For all of the people on these drugs, it calls for an increase of 50-100% in dietary protein. Protein-rich foods are important for preserving muscle mass as we age, so get your fill of fish, eggs, nuts, and seeds. This is particularly crucial for older adults, whose bodies when prompted to lose weight can become catabolic and cannibalize muscle as well.
Beyond major shifts on diets, the report calls for regular physical activity to be embedded into everyday life. To counteract any possible muscle loss as you lose weight, include a comprehensive full-body strength training program. Strive for an engagement in this practice at a minimum of three times per week. In addition to the above, it recommends that adults get 150 minutes of moderate cardio per week to improve cardiovascular health.
Emily A. Callahan, a registered dietitian nutritionist, and director of policy strategy for the Food is Medicine Institute, for example, claims that GLP-1s are very effective means to achieve long-term weight loss. Their impact potential increases dramatically when paired with robust nutrition counseling and lifestyle interventions. She concludes by highlighting the necessity of RDs to deliver critical medical nutrition therapy to help patients thrive with simultaneous GLP-1 therapy.
Perhaps most importantly, the report highlights the need to supplement everyone on GLP-1s. It’s impossible for most people to get those nutrients through foods when taking these drugs. One reason is that reduced food consumption is often associated with their use. That’s why the new report recommends supplements like vitamin D, calcium, and multivitamins to supplement diets and shore up necessary nutrition.
It’s no wonder that four leading medical groups have released a joint advisory. Second, they warn against GLP-1 medications’ risks, such as muscle loss, weight regain, and high long-term costs. Although muscle loss can be an inevitable consequence of weight loss, this further emphasizes the need for strength training alongside an increased protein intake.
Dr. Brendan Huang is the chief resident physician in adult neurology at Northwell Health. He’s a member of the ABC News Medical Unit, and he sounds an alarm over the need for that important middle ground. A variant of that concern is that consuming less food overall on GLP-1s can make it more difficult to obtain all the nutrients our bodies require. This points to the need for a robust, balanced health strategy which incorporates both pharmaceutical advancement and lifestyle intervention.
GLP-1 medications are increasingly becoming all the rage by the day. This positive trend is a call for increased integration and delivery of nutritional guidance and physical activity into patient care. We believe that Dr. Mozaffarian’s report will be an indispensable tool for clinicians and public-health advocates. Beyond providing public-facing data, it helps patients navigate this complex landscape.
