As GLP-1 medications grow in popularity not just for treating diabetes but also for weight loss, some people are turning to alternatives that health experts warn may carry risks.<\/p>\n
As GLP-1 medications grow in popularity<\/a> not just for treating diabetes but also for weight loss, some people are turning to alternatives that health experts warn may carry risks.\n<\/p>\n Amelia Baker, a licensed and registered dietitian at Georgetown University Hospital, told WTOP that GLP-1 medications can be effective for weight loss by helping \u201csuppress a hormone that is associated with hunger.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Baker said the medications are expensive and are not covered by all insurance plans.<\/p>\n That is where the danger can start, she said, when people seek compounded versions of GLP-1 medications, often advertised through medical spas, online clinics or telehealth providers rather than prescribed through a traditional primary care doctor or specialist.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat we\u2019re signing up for when we commit to a compounded medication is a medication that\u2019s not cleared by the FDA,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n According to the Food and Drug Administration\u2019s website<\/a>, compounded medications are not reviewed or approved in the same way as brand-name or generic drugs. The agency said that \u201ccompounded drugs are not FDA-approved. This means that FDA does not verify the safety, effectiveness or quality of compounded drugs before they are marketed.\u201d<\/p>\n The FDA notes that compounded drugs can be legal when produced by licensed pharmacists or physicians who follow specific federal and state laws.<\/p>\n In some cases, compounded medications are allowed when a patient cannot be treated with an FDA-approved drug. An example would be a patient with an allergy to a specific dye who needs a medication made without it.<\/p>\n The FDA also said that compounders may prepare compounded versions of a drug that appears on the agency\u2019s drug shortages list<\/a>, but only if the compounded product meets conditions outlined in federal law.<\/p>\n Baker said patients should always confirm whether a medication recommended to them outside a doctor\u2019s office or hospital system is FDA-approved or compounded.<\/p>\n \u201cFull stop. The safety mechanisms that have been put in place by our medication system, the Food and Drug Administration, are just not there,\u201d Baker said.<\/p>\n While Baker said she understands why people who cannot afford prescribed GLP-1 medications might feel excluded by the health care system and turn to compounded options, she said other evidence-based weight-loss approaches remain available.<\/p>\n \u201cWe still have gastric bypass, we still have medical nutrition therapy in a more intensive behavioral therapy sense,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n Baker also said dietary changes can support weight loss without medication. Most Americans don\u2019t eat enough fiber <\/a>and boosting fiber intake, she said, can help stimulate the body\u2019s natural secretion of GLP-1.<\/p>\n Baker said increasing fiber in your diet is a way to \u201cto dip your toe into increasing your satiety.\u201d<\/p>\n Foods that can increase GLP-1 naturally include oatmeal, flaxseed, blueberries, leafy greens like spinach, fish and avocados, Baker told WTOP.<\/p>\n