By now, you’ve likely heard of GLP-1 and dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist medications (which stands for glucagon-like peptide-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) that can help you lose weight. The drugs have been a game changer for people who live with obesity, which more than 40 percent of Americans do.
“Obesity is not a vanity thing. It is a chronic disease,” says Iman Saleh, MD, an obstetrician-gynecologist and the director of obesity medicine at Northwell Health’s South Shore University Hospital in Bay Shore, New York. “We need to treat it like one, just like we treat hypertension or high cholesterol.”
GLP-1 Agonists
GIP/GLP-1 Agonist
In addition to helping you lose weight, GLP-1 and dual GIP/GLP-1 agonists can help lower your risk of some conditions that go hand in hand with obesity: type 2 diabetes, heart disease, heart failure, kidney disease, metabolic dysfunction–associated steatotic liver disease, and obstructive sleep apnea. Early research suggests they may also reduce cravings and addictive behaviors and provide cognitive protection against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
If you’ve been thinking about taking a GLP-1 or dual GIP/GLP-1 agonist, you likely have lots of questions. Here’s everything you need to know about these meds, including how they work, whether they may be right for you, and what questions to ask yourself and your doctor before taking them.
GLP-1 agonists and dual GIP/GLP-1 agonists are medications that increase satiety (the feeling of fullness), slow digestion, and quiet constant thoughts about food (known as “food noise”), making it easier to lose weight and keep it off. When combined with a healthy diet and exercise, they are powerful tools for managing obesity.
These medications were initially created to treat
