The Pros And Cons Of GLP-1s: What It Can And Can’t Do For Your Health Goals

GLP-1s, or glucagon-like peptide-1 as they’re scientifically known, may be the new weight-loss fad, but they produce real results. A 2025 KFF poll found that one in eight Americans is taking some form of GLP-1 like Wegovy or Ozempic to either lose weight or treat a chronic condition. On top of that, the same poll found that more women than men are currently taking the drug. GLP-1s are highly effective not only for controlling blood sugar levels but also for weight management. 

But the barrier to entry to take GLP-1s is high. GLP-1s are not covered by most private health insurance, including Medicaid and Medicare, for weight management, and the out-of-pocket cost of a prescription can range from $149 to nearly $1,350. Not to mention, like with any drug, there could be adverse side effects on your body. Her Agenda spoke to three experts about the pros and cons of GLP-1s and traditional weight loss methods in order for you to make informed decisions about your personal health goals.

Common side effects of GLP-1 are gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea and diarrhea. Serious side effects include jaundice, severe abdominal pain, and severe vomiting and diarrhea, in which you should seek immediate medical attention. 

While GLP-1s can certainly help with food noise, the persistent physiological hunger and thoughts that commonly come with trying to lose weight, it doesn’t actually teach sustainable weight loss habits.

“GLP‑1 medications help people lose weight primarily by reducing appetite, quieting food noise, and making it easier to eat less. But the medication alone isn’t the whole story,” said Julianna Vocca, M.S, RD, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian and owner of Prime Women Nutrition. “If someone doesn’t also eat adequate protein, enough fiber, and stay well‑hydrated, they’re more likely to experience side effects like constipation, nausea, and fatigue.”

While reduced appetite causes you to eat less, Vocca says that the core principles of weight management still matter: “You still need to watch portions, build balanced meals, and move your body to maintain muscle and burn calories,” Vocca said.

Diet trends, whether it’s keto, paleo, or good old-fashioned calorie-counting, can be challenging when hunger is on the brain, as Dr. Hector Perez, a Mexico-based board-certified bariatric surgeon, says he commonly sees in patients. “You know you’ve won when you’re able to walk past a box of donuts without having an internal argument. That’s something that GLP-1s are known for, but calorie-counting actually often has the opposite effect,” said Dr. Perez.

But Dr. Perez believes that, along with developing healthy eating habits, exercise is critical in maintaining good health and sustainable weight loss. “People who lose weight primarily through exercise, especially resistance training combined with adequate protein intake, tend to preserve more muscle mass, maintain better physical function, and often improve cardiovascular fitness far beyond the pounds they shed,” explained Dr. Perez. ”By contrast, patients on GLP-1s can lose weight rapidly but may also lose precious lean mass if they aren’t actively strength training.” Dr. Perez recommends that weight loss management, with GLP-1s or not, should be paired with some form of daily movement. 

If you have the means to obtain a GLP-1, it can be a great tool in aiding in weight loss and maybe even skipping some of the most difficult parts of it, but that doesn’t mean that a GLP-1 is a cure-all nor a magical drug to keep the weight off forever. A 2022 study found that after a year of stopping the medication, patients on semaglutide (a type of GLP-1) regained two-thirds of the weight that they lost. However, another 2024 study showed that exercise helped maintain a healthy weight after a year of the termination of GLP-1 medication. 

“GLP-1 medications can create results, but they don’t teach the body anything. The moment you stop, the weight often comes back because nothing about your hunger signals, your habits, or your relationship with food has changed,” Beth Mirav, a certified health coach and owner of Natural Weight Loss Florida, told Her Agenda. “What actually works long-term is retraining the body to recognize real hunger, respond to it appropriately, and build habits that don’t require constant discipline.”