Weight-loss Drugs: A Panacea?

 

GLP-1RAs are found in all weight-loss medications including Mounjaro; Saxenda;and Wegovy. A very substantial US study, looked at almost 216,000 diabetics who were given weight-loss drugs in addition to their normal medication. Their incidences of a variety of medical conditions were compared with those of more than 1.2 million 'controls' who only received usual care. Folk exposed to GLP-1RAs showed a reduced risk of 42 conditions. These included, Alzheimer's, bacterial infections, Bulimia, clotting disorders, kidney disease, opioid-use disorders and Schizophrenia. Patients showed increased risk of abdominal pain, arthritis, kidney stones  and  low blood pressure. It's claimed that the benefits of weight-loss drugs also occur in non-diabetics  (https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/jan/20/weight-loss-jabs-linked-to-reduced-risk-of-42-conditions-including-dementia). There seems a real danger of prescribing weight-loss drugs to treat a vast array of physiological and psychological problems. This, could result in increases in other conditions (like arthritis). This medicalisation of treatment, however, seems likely to reduce the chances of physicians thinking about the needs of individual patients. It seems to reduce the chances of folk being encouraged to  cure themselves by adopting a healthier life-style, changing their diets and exercise regimes.