A recent study has shown that many people taking GLP-1 medications to lose weight are not taking them correctly, and it could be detrimental to achieving results.

According to the new research by the Endocrine Society, people with obesity who lost weight using drugs such as Ozempic or Wegovy “significantly reduced” their physical activity.

Failing to exercise while using the GLP-1s could be harmful, as drugs such as semaglutide, liraglutide, dulaglutide, and tirzepatide reduce both fat and lean muscle mass.

Study lead Sajana Maharjan, MD, of HSHS St. John’s Hospital in Springfield, Illinois, said keeping active and building muscle is “essential for preserving strength and long-term health.”

Ozempic has revolutionised obesity treatment. Credit: Steve Christo - Corbis / Getty

The study found that men were less active than women while losing weight

By comparing activity in study participants before and after beginning treatment, researchers found that the average number of steps decreased from 5,047 to 4,487 per day, while moderate physical activity fell from 28 to 22 minutes per day.

Although the cohort was mostly female, with an average age of 52.7 years, the largest declines were observed in men and in those with joint or muscle pain

The data was recorded from 753 people with obesity who began taking a GLP-1 medication during the trial.

Despite the common belief that losing weight, medically aided or not, would encourage people to increase their physical activity, the study seems to have proved the opposite.

Maharjan addressed the importance of people taking GLP-1s to continue or increase the amount they exercise, saying: “The findings in our study reinforce that exercise cannot be optional for people taking these medications.

“People need targeted interventions that encourage physical activity alongside medication for obesity.”

Weight-loss medication can actually deter people from exercise. Credit: UCG / Getty

Why is exercising important if the weight is coming off without it?

Supporting the findings of the study, a New York-based hormone and weight-loss specialist, Dr. Peter Balazs, MD, told Fox News that the findings did not come as much of a surprise to him because weight loss rarely results in a greater motivation to exercise.

He said: “In fact, being in a calorie deficit can cause the body to conserve energy, resulting in a lower metabolic rate.

“Additionally, side effects of weight-loss medications, such as nausea, fatigue or gastrointestinal discomfort, may further reduce a person’s ability or desire to be physically active.”

Balazs also warned that “exercise plays a critical role during weight loss.

“Without adequate physical activity, a significant portion of weight loss may come from muscle rather than fat.”

Featured image credit: Steve Christo - Corbis / Getty

A new study has analyzed data from thousands of people using weight loss injections to determine which of the available treatments is most effective for losing weight.

Following the introduction of peptides, weight loss drugs that are marketed under the brand names Ozempic, Mounjaro, Saxenda, and Wegovy, many users have reported significant results.

While the medications all function in a similar way, mimicking the GLP-1 hormone, which signals to the brain that the body is full and reduces appetite, some come with unwanted side effects.

Although this often leads to noticeable weight loss, some people regain weight after stopping treatment.

What the study revealed

Researchers have revealed which weight loss drug is the most effective for obesity. Credit: coldsnowstorm / Getty

Researchers from the University of Georgia reviewed 15 separate studies involving more than 14,000 non-diabetic participants who used different weight loss injections to compare their effectiveness.

Among the three main options, each uses a different active ingredient: Wegovy contains semaglutide, Mounjaro uses tirzepatide, and Saxenda is based on liraglutide. (Ozempic also uses semaglutide but is primarily prescribed for diabetes rather than weight loss.)

The findings showed that Mounjaro, which is based on tirzepatide, produced the strongest results overall. On average, participants lost around 20 percent of their body weight.

Wegovy ranked second, with users losing roughly 15 percent of their body weight, while Saxenda came third, with an average loss of about eight percent.

Unlike the others, Saxenda requires daily injections, whereas Mounjaro and Wegovy are typically taken weekly.

However, the study also found that Mounjaro had a slightly higher chance of causing side effects, including nausea and vomiting, although it still delivered the most significant weight loss outcomes. Doses between 10 and 15 milligrams per week were identified as the most effective.

One key difference is that while Wegovy and Saxenda only mimic the GLP-1 hormone, Mounjaro also targets another hormone known as GIP, which may help explain its stronger results.

Experts discuss results

Doctoral student Pooja Gokhale, who authored the review, said: “We were interested in finding which drug gives the most weight loss and doesn’t have higher rates of side effects like nausea and gastrointestinal problems. Tirzepatide seems to be the better option.”

A spokesperson for Novo Nordisk, which manufactures Wegovy and Saxenda, emphasized that treatment decisions should be made carefully.

“Obesity is a complex disease that is often misunderstood, underdiagnosed and undertreated. It requires long-term management and is influenced by a number of different factors including physiological, psychological, environmental, socio-economics and genetic factors.

“Treatment decisions should be made together with a healthcare provider who can evaluate the appropriateness of using specific medicines based on assessment of a patient’s individual medical profile.”

Featured Image. Credit: coldsnowstorm / Getty

Serena Williams has opened up about the effect GLP-1 medication has had on her life after losing over 31lbs.

The tennis champion, 43, revealed that she had chosen to take the weight-loss injections after finding it harder to lose weight post-partum.

She explained that she noticed her body changed after having her first daughter, Alexis Olympia, in 2017, telling People: "I never was able to get to the weight I needed to be no matter what I did, no matter how much I trained.

"It was crazy because I'd never been in a place like that in my life where I worked so hard, ate so healthy and could never get down to where I needed to be at.

"I had never taken shortcuts in my career and always worked really hard. I know what it takes to be the best. So it was very frustrating to do all the same things and never be able to change that number on the scale or the way my body looked."

The 23-time Grand Slam champion found that the same thing happened after welcoming her second daughter, Adira River, in August 2023.

Serena revealed that while she was able to lose a lot of weight in two weeks, she "never lost another pound" after that, despite remaining consistent.

She admitted: "I just thought, gosh, I don't know if I would ever be able to get back to where I needed to get to."

It was then that she decided to turn to GLP-1 medication, which has exploded in popularity in recent years.

First created as a medication to help those with diabetes control their blood sugar, it was later discovered that GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy, can help with weight loss by curbing the appetite.

GLP-1 drugs are only meant to be used under the supervision of a doctor and where medically necessary to help with weight loss, and can come with a host of side-effects including gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation. Rarer, but more serious side-effects include acute pancreatitis, gallbladder issues, and allergic reactions.

Serena admitted that she was nervous to use the injections herself, especially given the controversy surrounding the medication.

She explained: "I did a lot of research on it. I was like, 'is this a shortcut? What are the benefits? What are not the benefits?' I really wanted to dive into it before I just did it."

The athlete consulted with a doctor and began the jabs in early 2024, around six months after Adira was born, and once she had stopped breastfeeding.

She revealed that she feels "great" following her 31lb weight-loss, adding: "I feel really good and healthy. I feel light physically and light mentally."

The Olympic gold medalist added that she is now able to be more active and "do more" as her joints no longer hurt as much and she feels like she has more energy.

She also admitted that she wanted to be open about the method behind her recent weight loss, and revealed that it is not necessarily a "shortcut".

Serena added: "GLP-1 helped me enhance everything that I was already doing — eating healthy and working out, whether it was as a professional athlete at the top level of tennis or just going to the gym every day."

Despite her weight loss, Serena believes that every woman should "love yourself at any size and any look" and that "weight loss should never really change your self image" as women experience "judgment" no matter their size.

She explained: "I've never felt that pressure to maintain a certain appearance. I always felt comfortable at any size, whether I was a lot heavier or not.

"I do feel like my body didn't like me at that weight. I had pain in my joints and pain in different areas just because of the extra weight that I'm not used to carrying since I had children.

"But the size I was before, there was nothing wrong with it. It's just not what I wanted to have. I just knew that I wanted to be where I personally felt comfortable."

She added that she is trying to instil body confidence at any size in her two daughters, who she shares with husband Alexis Ohanian.

Featured image credit: MediaPunch/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images/Getty Images

Thousands of Americans are now taking legal action against popular weight loss drugs after a rare and terrifying permanent side effect was revealed.

Ozempic and Wegovy, part of a class known as GLP-1 receptor drugs, were originally designed to treat Type 2 diabetes. However, they quickly surged in popularity after patients began experiencing weight loss while taking them.

Todd Engel, a 63-year-old grandfather from Maryland, was among those prescribed the medication.

But after taking Ozempic, he developed a rare condition known as non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), which has left him permanently blind.

He is now suing Novo Nordisk, the pharmaceutical company behind both drugs.

Ozempic is approved to treat type 2 diabetes. Credit: Steve Christo - Corbis/Getty

Man Left Legally Blind After Taking Ozempic

Per Fox 5, Engel began taking the drug in the spring of 2023 to manage his diabetes while working as a professional truck driver for Howard County highways.

Around New Year’s Eve that year, he suddenly lost vision in his right eye in what doctors described as an eye stroke.

At the time, Engel continued using the medication, unaware that there could be a link. Ten months later, in October 2024, he woke up unable to see out of his left eye as well.

Doctors later diagnosed him with NAION, which is the leading cause of sudden vision loss. "I was terrified... I’m never going to be able to see my wife again," he shared.

The condition forced him to give up the job he loved and dramatically changed daily life for him and his family.

"I went in and I told them what happened, and I cried in front of my supervisors because I couldn’t do my job anymore," Engel said. "A job I really enjoyed."

His wife, Shelley, now helps him navigate daily tasks. "It’s heartbreaking when our little grandkids have to take his hand and lead him around," she said, per The Independent. "He can't drive and he can't work, which is major, he can't play ball.

"It breaks my heart, but my life has changed. Our whole family's life, everything has changed completely. He can't play with our grandkids. Everything in our house has been rearranged and organised," she added.

Growing Number Of Lawsuits Over Rare Eye Condition

Engel’s case is one of more than 4,000 lawsuits filed by patients who claim the drugs caused severe health complications, including blindness and even death.

Many of the cases have now been consolidated in Pennsylvania as part of a growing legal battle seeking to determine what the drug manufacturers knew about the risks.

Engel’s lawsuit claims the manufacturers knew Ozempic was associated with an increased risk of NAION but did not properly disclose the danger. "My neuro-ophthalmologist at Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute said there’s some speculation that Ozempic could have caused this," he said.

One study cited in the complaint reportedly discovered that using semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic, more than doubles the risk of NAION.

Engel hopes his experience will force drugmakers to take notice. "I want people to realize. I want the manufacturers of Ozempic to see me. That I cannot see anything. I’m blind. I’m legally blind, and this is devastating," he said.

His attorney, Jonathan Orent, said the impact of the condition cannot be overstated.

Credit: UCG / Getty

Other Patients Report Serious Complications

Diane Wirth, who worked as a nurse for more than 30 years, also developed NAION in her right eye after taking the drug, forcing her into retirement.

"If someone would have told me there was a chance that a drug I was taking could make me blind, I would never, ever, have taken the first shot," she said.

Another lawsuit has been filed by Tracy Ettinghoff, whose wife, Marsha, died six months after beginning Ozempic.

In 2024, Marsha had started taking the medication in hopes of losing weight before their son’s wedding. "She didn't have any symptoms until a week before she died,” Ettinghoff said. “She started throwing up, and one week later she was dead.”

Ettinghoff said his wife "didn't think that she needed [the medication], but she wanted to be on it," and that the weekly injections did not appear to make much difference to her weight loss.

"We believe that Mrs. Ettinghoff’s premature death was substantially caused by her use of GLP-1s and the adverse reactions associated with them," Orent said. "We believe that sufficient warnings would have prevented this tragic death from ever happening."

Drugmaker Responds

Novo Nordisk has said patient safety remains its top priority and disputes claims that the medication directly causes NAION.

"Patient safety is our top priority, and we take any reports about adverse events from the use of our medicines very seriously. We work closely with authorities and regulatory bodies from around the world to continuously monitor the safety profile of our products," they said, per The Guardian.

They added that EU patient leaflets for Wegovy, Ozempic, and Rybelsus have been updated to include non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION).

However, the company has concluded that data "did not suggest a reasonable possibility of a causal relationship between semaglutide and NAION, and Novo Nordisk believes that the benefit-risk profile of semaglutide remains favourable."

Featured image credit: Steve Christo - Corbis/Getty

Scientists say a "natural Ozempic" could offer the same weight-loss benefits as existing drugs, but without the unwanted side effects.

In recent years, millions, including many well-known figures such as Oprah Winfrey and Amy Schumer, have turned to GLP-1 medications to slim down, even as concerns about side effects persist.

A report by RAND discovered that nearly 12 percent of Americans have used these drugs, with about half experiencing nausea and one-third reporting diarrhea.

Now, researchers at Stanford Medicine say they may have found a solution to this problem.

Scientists have found a new molecule that may be just as effective as Ozempic. Credit: Steve Christo - Corbis / Getty

'Natural Ozempic' Explained

Scientists have identified a tiny molecule called BRP that can suppress your appetite in a similar way to Ozempic, but without affecting the rest of the body as much.

Unlike semaglutide, the main ingredient in Ozempic, which affects several organs, BRP seems to work mainly in the brain’s appetite center.

"The receptors targeted by semaglutide are found in the brain but also in the gut, pancreas, and other tissues," assistant professor of pathology Katrin Svensson, PhD, said, per Science Daily.

"That's why Ozempic has widespread effects, including slowing the movement of food through the digestive tract and lowering blood sugar levels. In contrast, BRP appears to act specifically in the hypothalamus, which controls appetite and metabolism," Svensson added.

By targeting a more focused area, health experts believe BRP could help people eat less and lose weight without feeling nauseous, or having constipation and muscle loss.

AI Plays Key Role In Discovery

Artificial intelligence played a major role in the discovery, helping researchers sort through thousands of possible molecules.

They created a tool to study prohormones, which can be broken down into smaller peptides that affect things like metabolism.

"The algorithm was absolutely key to our findings," Svensson said.

The "natural Ozempic" can supress your appetite. credit: Olha Danylenko / Getty

Promising Results in Early Testing

So far, BRP has only been tested in animals, but the results have left researchers impressed.

In both mice and minipigs, a single injection reduced food intake by up to 50 percent within an hour.

In obese mice, daily injections over two weeks led to weight loss driven mainly by fat reduction, while untreated mice gained weight during the same period.

The treated animals also showed improved glucose and insulin responses.

Importantly, researchers observed no major changes in movement, digestion, or behavior, suggesting the treatment may avoid many of the downsides linked to current weight-loss drugs.

Scientists are now working to better understand how BRP interacts with specific receptors in the body and how its effects can be extended for practical use.

"The lack of effective drugs to treat obesity in humans has been a problem for decades," Svensson said. "Nothing we've tested before has compared to semaglutide's ability to decrease appetite and body weight. We are very eager to learn if it is safe and effective in humans."

Featured image credit: Steve Christo - Corbis / Getty