Weight Loss, G1P Medication

By: Nelllie Gkatzimas

Edited: Ritisha Debnath

Weight loss trends have come and gone over the years, especially as people realize the importance of healthy living and how it over pours to the other facets of your life. Oftentimes these effects can alter different  parts of our lives in a negative way. Some examples of this, like our mental health, gut health, and overall cognitive abilities, can be greatly impaired by unhealthy lifestyles and being overweight. One of the more recent trends in the past few years are weight loss drugs. One of the most popular of these medications for battling obesity is the GLP-1 medication, often marketed as more known titles like Ozempic or Monjaro. While drugs like GLP-1 and many other of these drugs are designed to treat obesity, they can prove to not be as effective if individuals only use medicine as a means to weight loss. 

It has been shown that these medications have the biggest and longest lasting impacts when combined with healthy habits such as healthy eating and exercise. The GLP-1 medications affect how the body controls hunger and metabolism. This is important as obesity is not just based on how much willpower or motivation an individual has, it is also closely linked to how the body regulates appetite. There are many other factors that lead people to obesity such as behavior and environment, so medication alone is not enough to create long lasting impacts, as most people  do not stay on weight loss medication forever. 

This is why many experts advise combining these medications with lifestyle modifications because of these various confounding factors. People who make other changes, like eating better, exercising more, and developing healthier habits, typically experience better results. Using medication in conjunction with structured lifestyle programs produces longer-lasting effects than using medication alone.

The fact that many people do not take these drugs for an extended period of time is another significant concern. There can be many reasons someone stops taking medication such as cost, or other problems with access that can cause patients to stop taking them. As a result, long-term success requires more than just medicine. People frequently need to make lifestyle adjustments to sustain their weight loss after stopping the medications. In conclusion, weight loss medications are a useful tool, but they are insufficient on their own; the best strategy combines medication with long-term support and healthy habits.

Citations 

“Weight Management.” Cleveland Clinic, my.clevelandclinic.org/services/weight-management. Accessed 27 Mar. 2026.

“Weight-Loss Drugs Do Work – but Not on Their Own | Letters.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 22 Mar. 2026, www.theguardian.com/science/2026/mar/22/weight-loss-drugs-do-work-but-not-on-their-own.

Ziyadeh, Farah, et al. “Update on Antiobesity Pharmacotherapy in Adults: Current and Emerging Options.” Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine, 1 Jan. 2026, www.ccjm.org/content/93/1/36.