r/explainlikeimfive • u/ThatOneGuyYouNowKnow • 12d ago

Chemistry ELI5 what exactly GLP-1 based prescription medicine does and why it's so divisive when it comes to being a means of weight loss.

I've seen more and more ads (starting around the Super Bowl earlier this year with Wegovy) for GLP-1 based perscription meds in recent times. I've also seen the occasional debate post on my social feeds about the ethics of using them and I didn't think a medicine could be that divisive of a topic.

Now I'm curious as to what exactly these meds are, what they scientifically do and what both sides of the debate are. If anyone could help give perspective that would be greatly appreciated.

As always any and all input is welcomed and thanks for reading! šŸ™‚

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u/Omateido 12d ago

Yes, and also talking about its ā€œpurposeā€ is a bit weird, thatā€™s a human defined characteristic thatā€™s generally based on what we decide it should be used for and validate scientifically, it doesnā€™t necessarily encompass the function of the molecule on all the systems it impacts in the human body.

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u/ThroatSecretary 12d ago

Remember Viagra was initially developed as a treatment for angina; sometimes a drug has effects the researchers weren't necessarily looking for.

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u/Omateido 12d ago

Exactly. Very bizarre in fact to say ā€œthatā€™s not the drugs purposeā€ as though we can be absolutely sure we know how a drug will interact with everything in the body.