Health
Surgery Surpasses GLP-1 for Weight Loss
Health Points
- Confirm surgical eligibility before choosing a path.
- Review insurance and long-term costs when planning therapy.
- Plan lifelong follow-up after surgery to monitor nutrition and health.
A large new study found that people who had sleeve gastrectomy or gastric bypass lost about 24% of their body weight—roughly 58 pounds on average—two years after surgery, while patients prescribed GLP-1 drugs lost about 5%, or 12 pounds on average.
The research compared 38,545 people taking GLP-1 medications with 12,540 patients who underwent bariatric procedures, and authors say decisions should be individualized based on eligibility, goals and risks.
“Clinical trials show weight loss between 15-21% for GLP-1s, but this study suggests that weight loss in the real world is considerably lower,” Dr. Avery Brown said.
“We have to take the prescribing of them much more seriously. I don’t think we can be giving them out like candy,” Dr. Karan Chhabra said.
Talk with your clinician about which option fits your health goals, eligibility and lifestyle before deciding.
