A weekly injection is no longer the only way to reap the obesity management and weight loss benefits of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications. One oral GLP-1 option is now approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with more on the way. It offers a needle-free approach to managing weight and supporting metabolic health.
Whether you choose a daily pill or a weekly injection, GLP-1 medications work by mimicking GLP-1, a natural hormone your body releases after a meal. It helps control appetite, digestion, and blood sugar. By mimicking that hormone, GLP-1 medications, including newer dual GIP/GLP-1 drugs, can help in several ways. They can help you feel fuller for longer, slow digestion, and quiet the constant thoughts about food that some people refer to as food noise.
These medications also “enhance insulin secretion,” which can result in better blood sugar control and weight loss, says Sara Velayati, MD, an obesity medicine specialist at Montefiore Einstein’s Fleischer Institute Medical Weight Center in Bronx, New York. By acting on your brain, stomach, and blood sugar systems at the same time, GLP-1 medications can support meaningful weight loss.
