People Are Getting an Old-Timey Sailors’ Disease on GLP-1s
Top dietitians in Australia this week are waving a red flag about an unforeseen impact of the GLP-1 class of weight-loss drugs, including Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.
In a new systematic review of existing research, led by professor Clare Collins of the Newcastle School of Health Sciences in New South Wales, Australia, it appears that very few global trials of the drugs have taken into consideration what and how much patients are eating while using them.
This, experts have said, means many patients have been functionally malnourished — sometimes developing serious vitamin deficiencies like scurvy.
Part of what makes these drugs so effective for weight loss and diabetes management is their ability to suppress appetite. But not eating, or not eating enough of the right stuff, is simply not a sustainable path forward for anyone, regardless of whether or not they’re using a GLP-1. And dietitians are calling for more oversight.
“A reduction in body weight does not automatically mean the person is well-nourished or healthy,” Collins told the Australian Financial Review. “Nutrition plays a critical role in health and right now it’s largely missing from the evidence.” (Read more from “People Are Getting an Old-Timey Sailors’ Disease on GLP-1s” HERE)
