Canadian journal of public health = Revue canadienne de sante publiqueApr 15, 2026

Widespread use of GLP-1 receptor drugs and discussions about weight loss: possible public health impacts

GLP-1 Therapies Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Updated Apr 16, 2026

Abstract

Public interest in glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) has surged, extending beyond their medical indications for type 2 diabetes and obesity.

Increased media and social media discourse around GLP-1RAs may shape perceptions of these medications as weight loss solutions.
Such perceptions could detract from their intended use as treatments for specific chronic conditions.
The expansion of interest in GLP-1RAs for non-medical use may impact equitable access for those with valid medical needs.
Widespread promotion of GLP-1RAs as weight loss aids may reinforce societal pressures regarding body image and thinness.
There is a noted lack of research on the public health effects of the growing portrayal of GLP-1RAs outside their intended medical context.

Simplified

Incretin-based therapies, including glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs), are approved for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and related conditions, and have demonstrated significant benefits for individuals with these conditions. However, in recent years, public interest and demand for GLP-1RAs-often driven by media, social media influencers, advertising, and public discourse-have increased beyond the populations for whom these medications are medically indicated. The ripple effects of widespread public exposure to GLP-1RAs and weight-loss-related discourse on public health have received very little research attention and remain poorly understood. This widespread exposure may contribute to a perception that GLP-1RAs are intended as weight loss solutions for non-medical use, rather than an effective treatment for specific chronic conditions like obesity. Such perceptions could influence demand and affect equitable access for people with medical indications for these medications. Widespread exposure to discourse that highlights GLP-1RAs as weight loss solutions may inadvertently reinforce social desirability for thinness and body image concerns. Despite the established clinical efficacy of GLP-1RAs for medically indicated conditions, this commentary highlights the potential public health risks associated with their growing portrayal as weight loss solutions for non-medical use in the public sphere and calls for research to better understand these broader implications to inform balanced public health communication strategies.

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Competing interests

Declarations. Ethics approval: Not applicable. Consent to participate: Not applicable. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Conflict of interest: Ramos Salas is an independent research consultant (Replica Communications), affiliated researcher at Lund University, and chair of Bias 180, a global non-profit organization with a mandate to address health-related stigma and an independent research consultant. She has received research grants (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council), education grants, and consulting fees (unrelated to this work) from public organizations such as the European Association for the Study of Obesity, The Obesity Society, the Obesity Medicine Association, the Obesity Action Coalition, the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, and the Health Services Executive of Ireland, International Federation for the Surgery and Other Therapies for Obesity, Obesity Canada(consultant), and private organizations such as Milieu Consulting SRL (consultant) and Eli Lilly (consultant, speaker). ASA has received speaker honoraria from Collaborative CME and Research Network (CCRN), Boehringer Ingelheim and speaker and consulting honoraria from Obesity Canada for presentations unrelated to this work.

PubMed

Widespread use of GLP-1 receptor drugs and discussions about weight loss: possible public health impacts

Abstract

Full Text

Funding

Competing interests

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