Some 12 percent of American adults are using GLP-1s, which started out as diabetes drugs before the weight-loss market took off in 2021. One in seven people using GLP-1s are microdosing the medications, a 2025 survey<\/a> from health tracking app Evidant found.<\/p>\n Microdosing has been promoted by some telehealth companies like Noom, with actress Rebel Wilson acting as spokesperson for the brand. \u201cI felt amazing, I looked amazing,\u201d Wilson told USA Today<\/a> last September about Noom\u2019s microdose GLP-1.<\/p>\n Other famous faces jumping on the microdosing trend include Bravo host Andy Cohen<\/a> and reality TV star Brooks Nader, both who have spoken publicly about it. <\/a> “It was enough for me. It kickstarted something,\u201d Cohen told \u201cTODAY with Jenna & Friends\u201d<\/a> last year. He did not say what GLP-1 he had taken.<\/p>\n But a recent warning<\/a> from Novant Health, a hospital group that serves 6 million patients, warned that smaller GLP-1 doses carry risks for users. Novant also says that microdosing isn\u2019t even that effective.<\/p>\n \u2018A random unknown drug\u2019<\/p>\n Doctors typically prescribe U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved GLP-1 drugs for patients to use once a week. Patients often start with small doses of a quarter of a milligram<\/a> but doctors can prescribe a range of doses, depending on weight loss needs.<\/p>\n Drugmakers are currently testing doses of up to 20 milligrams of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, to take weekly.<\/p>\n But several telehealth companies, including Noom,<\/a> say microdosing can help patients who want to spend less money than paying out of pocket for larger doses and still lose weight.<\/p>\n Microdoses of GLP-1s – created by taking FDA-approved drugs and splitting them into smaller doses – are dubbed \u201ccompounded drugs.\u201d These are custom-made by licensed pharmacists who sell them over the counter and for telehealth companies online.<\/p>\n The FDA is taking action<\/a> to limit the use of compounded GLP-1s. Companies marketing the microdoses are only allowed to make the compounded versions when there is a shortage of FDA-approved GLP-1s, the agency said<\/a> Wednesday. There is no shortage right now.<\/p>\n Noom, arguably the most prominent telehealth company selling microdoses of GLP-1, uses semaglutide as its active ingredient. The Independent has contacted Noom for comment.<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, compounded versions aren\u2019t approved by the FDA, meaning there may not be a process of verifying safety, effectiveness or quality before medications are marketed to consumers. Noom says it partners with an FDA-regulated facility to produce its drugs and that the facility is sterile<\/a>.<\/p>\n Drugs not produced in a sterile environment can lead to bacterial infections. Measurement errors are possible when splitting doses, and may lead to an accidental overdose. Brown Health<\/a> says there was a nearly 1,500 percent increase in calls related to accidentally overdosing on injected weight loss drugs in 2023. <\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t recommend using compounded versions of these medications because they\u2019re untested – both in their effectiveness and their safety,\u201d Dr. W. Scott Butsch, the Director of Obesity Medicine in the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic<\/a>, said.<\/p>\n The drugs may also come with undisclosed or even dangerous additives that can interact<\/a> with other medications or health conditions, obesity medicine doctor Dr. John Cleek, of Novant Health General Surgery & Bariatrics – Mount Pleasant, said last month<\/a>. GLP-1s at any dosage can change how some blood thinners<\/a> and hormonal birth control<\/a> affect the body.<\/p>\n \u201cMost people usually aren’t okay with injecting themselves with a random unknown drug,\u201d Cleek said. \u201cBut that\u2019s essentially what you\u2019re doing if you use a compounded GLP-1 drug.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Lifestyle first\u2019<\/p>\n The wider problem with microdosing is that weight-loss benefits don\u2019t outweigh the risks, doctors say.<\/p>\n![\"One](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2220818689.jpeg\")
One in seven Americans are microdosing GLP-1 class weight-loss drugs to save money or reduce side effects. Celebrities like actress Rebel Wilson have promoted microdosing – but some doctors say it can be dangerous (Getty Images for 21Seeds Infused)<\/p>\n
![\"\u2018Work](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2268489814.jpeg\")
\u2018Work on your lifestyle first. Your doctor or a weight loss specialist will absolutely be able to find places where you can make meaningful lifestyle changes that can result in five to 10 pounds of weight loss,\u201d one doctor said (Getty Images for IRONMAN)<\/p>\n