Whether they\u2019re using weekly shots or daily pills, more Americans than ever are turning to anti-obesity drugs to lose weight and boost health.<\/p>\n
About 1 in 8 U.S. adults say they are taking a GLP-1 drug, according to a recent survey<\/a> by the health research group KFF.<\/p>\n Just since January, more than 600,000 prescriptions have been written for Novo Nordisk\u2019s new Wegovy pill, the company said. Early analysis suggests that more than a third of users are new to the drugs, according to Truveta, a healthcare data company. <\/p>\n But medication alone isn\u2019t the answer, experts caution. It also takes lifestyle changes \u2014 healthy diet, exercise, adequate sleep and stress management \u2014 to reap the biggest benefits from the drugs known as GLP-1s.<\/p>\n \u201cThe biggest mistake people make with GLP-1 medications is thinking the prescription is the treatment,\u201d said Dr. Katherine Saunders, an obesity medicine expert at Weill Cornell Medicine and co-founder of FlyteHealth, a weight-loss treatment company.<\/p>\n GLP-1s can spur weight loss and health benefits on their own, but the effects are larger and last longer when the drugs are combined with lifestyle changes, a recent review of nearly three dozen studies<\/a> found.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what experts say you should know about GLP-1 drugs and healthy habits:<\/p>\n It\u2019s not all about weight<\/p>\n Obesity is a big driver of chronic disease, including conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. But the focus should be overall health and not just the numbers on a scale, said Dr. Jody Dushay, an endocrinologist and obesity expert at Harvard Medical School.<\/p>\n \u201cHealth is what you eat, how much you move your body, what is your blood sugar, what is your blood pressure, what is your cholesterol,\u201d she said. \u201cAll of those things are really important.\u201d<\/p>\n The GLP-1 drugs work by targeting hormones in the gut and brain that slow digestion and target appetite and feelings of fullness. That effect \u201clevels the playing field,\u201d said Saunders, making it easier to adopt healthy habits like eating less and moving more.<\/p>\n \u201cSocial media and advertising sometimes create the impression that these medications are a quick fix, but obesity is a complex, chronic, progressive disease\u201d that requires ongoing medical management, she added.<\/p>\n What does research show about GLP-1s and lifestyle changes?<\/p>\n The clinical trials of anti-obesity medications like Wegovy and Zepbound included structured lifestyle programs along with the medication, which are advised along with every new prescription.<\/p>\n That results not only in significant weight loss, but improved health markers.<\/p>\n