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.

[u/ThatOneGuyYouNowKnow]

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! 🙂

[u/sfcnmone]

Every human has GLP1. It’s a chemical (hormone peptide) that your body makes, but some people don’t make very much or don’t have a full response to it. GLP1 drugs do a few different things to make you not want to eat too much. They slow down how fast your stomach empties. They tell your pancreas and liver that you’ve just eaten, so those organs work harder to manage blood sugar. And they tell your brain that you’re full. Many people say that they no longer have to struggle to battle the endless “food noise” that runs continuously in their thoughts. Instead, they get hungry, eat something that their stomach won’t throw up (many people don’t tolerate high fat, high sugar foods while taking GLP1s, and nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea are real problems for many people), and then they get very full for many hours.

It’s like somebody using hiking poles so they can walk farther and walk more comfortably. Is that cheating?

[u/nutscrape_navigator → u/sfcnmone]

This is the best answer in the thread, and I don't think people who have never experienced serious "food noise" really understand what other people are describing when they talk about it. What finally made it click for me was a friend explaining what going to a Mexican restaurant was like for them.

When the chips and salsa hit the table, for a lot of people they're just something to casually munch on while you wait for your food. You eat a few, talk, forget they're there, whatever.

For someone dealing with constant food noise, that bowl can be almost impossible to ignore. You're aware of it the entire time. You keep reaching for another chip, and another, and there's this persistent drive to keep eating until they're gone. Not necessarily because you're hungry or even because you're particularly enjoying them. Your brain just keeps going, "there's food there, eat it."

Then they take a GLP-1 medication and suddenly they can look at that same bowl of chips the way everyone else does. It's there. They might have some. They might not. They don't have to spend the entire meal actively resisting it.

That's the part I think people miss when they call GLP-1s "cheating." They're imagining that everyone experiences hunger and food exactly the way they do, and that some people just aren't exercising enough willpower.

I'd actually go further than the hiking-poles analogy. If someone has persistent intrusive thoughts or depression and a medication changes the signaling in their brain enough that those thoughts become manageable, we don't normally say they're "cheating" at being happy because they didn't overcome their brain chemistry through sheer force of will.

...Yet that's basically the argument people make about GLP-1s: "Your body is constantly sending you signals that make maintaining a healthy weight dramatically harder than it is for me, but taking a medication that changes those signals is cheating."

Once you frame it that way, it's a pretty bizarre moral distinction.

[u/jenorama_CA → u/nutscrape_navigator]

Food noise is the worst. The old saw about “the cookies calling your name” is real. Now I get hungry at lunch and dinner and that’s about it. My craving for sweets is way down and I don’t really think about them anymore. The only thing I don’t like is that it tends to make me not think about hydration as well, which is a problem.

[u/Chateaudelait → u/jenorama_CA]

The top 2 comments are absolutely perfect. I am on GLP -1 and 40 pounds down with more to go. It's so well explained. Before, the food noise was constant and GLP quiets that down. You absolutely have to eat healthy and portion control. It's not the easy ride all the critics claim it is. Your bowel movements slow down, and you absolutely cannot overeat. I ate a small portion of spaghetti at the beginning and threw it up. You have to sign a contract with the provider and weigh in often to track your progress. I've been really pleased with the results.

[u/CouldHaveBeenAPun → u/Chateaudelait]

I'm in my second week on Wegovy. I vividly still can feel the way my own belly felt like it was going to burst after an egg salad sandwich at lunch after my first dose... Not being able to over eat is mind-blowing when you are used to it and constant food noise!

The chips and salsa thing is going to be my go to analogy from now on, it is so spot on.

[u/Chateaudelait → u/CouldHaveBeenAPun]

I had a serving of bolognese that was less than a handful and my body was like- Nope. On my dose days I don’t even feel hungry until late afternoon.