GLP-1RA Medications: How do they impact eating disorders?

In recent years, GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) like semaglutide and liraglutide have become widely prescribed medications, primarily for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and, more commonly, used for weight loss. While GLP-1RAs are touted as a “miracle” solution to body image issues, are they really the answer?

While we explore the impacts GLP-1RA medications have on society as a whole and on the body, we want to be clear that if you are currently taking these medications, there is no shame. It is important to be aware of the ways these medications impact those with eating disorders, disordered eating, and the general population as a whole. 

If you are currently taking GLP-1RAs, are considering it, have in the past, or simply want to gain a perspective on their impact, this blog post is for you.

What are GLP-1 Receptor Agonists?

GLP-1 receptor agonists are a class of medications designed to mimic the effects of the GLP-1 hormone, which is naturally produced in the intestines. This hormone plays a key role in regulating blood sugar by stimulating insulin production in response to food. It also promotes satiety (feeling full) and slows gastric emptying, making it a tool for controlling hunger and managing blood glucose levels.

For patients with type 2 diabetes, GLP-1RAs can help regulate insulin levels and improve glycemic control. In the last few years, however, these medications have also been prescribed off-label or marketed specifically for weight loss, with drugs like semaglutide (branded as Ozempic and Wegovy) receiving high-profile attention. 

This has sparked a boom in their use among people without diabetes who are simply seeking to lose weight. The problem is, that this use of GLP-1RAs is often misunderstood.

Diet Culture and the Glorification of Weight Loss

At the heart of the use of GLP-1RAs is the pervasive influence of diet culture. Diet culture promotes a harmful preoccupation with weight loss, thinness, and body shape, often at the expense of health, well-being, and self-esteem. The idea that thinner is inherently better is deeply ingrained in modern society, leading people to pursue drastic measures in order to achieve an idealized, often unattainable body. In this context, medications like GLP-1RAs are increasingly being used as “shortcuts” to weight loss. But do they really provide long-term solutions?

While the pharmaceutical industry and media outlets may present GLP-1RAs as a groundbreaking “solution”, they are ultimately part of a larger societal framework that demonizes larger bodies and positions thinness as synonymous with health. 

This obsession with weight loss leads many to take extreme steps—whether through restrictive diets, excessive exercise, or medications like GLP-1RAs—in an attempt to conform to an ever-changing standard of beauty. In many cases, these drugs are marketed not as medical necessities but as a “quick fix” for anyone dissatisfied with their body size, regardless of whether they have an actual medical need for them.

The truth is, GLP-1RAs do not guarantee a better body image. Body image work is mental work and a smaller body does not equate to a body you automatically love. 

The widespread availability and promotion of GLP-1RAs as a weight-loss solution feeds into diet culture’s dangerous narrative that our worth is tied to our weight. For people struggling with body image issues, this can be incredibly harmful, pushing them further into the cycle of restriction, shame, and self-loathing that diet culture so often perpetuates.

Impact on People with Eating Disorders

The impact of GLP-1RAs on individuals with eating disorders is particularly concerning. Eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder, often involve complex relationships with food, body image, and self-esteem. These disorders are marked by a pattern of behaviors, such as restriction, bingeing, and purging, as well as extreme preoccupation with weight and shape. The use of GLP-1RAs can exacerbate these issues in a number of ways.

First, by suppressing appetite and inducing feelings of fullness, GLP-1RAs can reinforce disordered eating patterns. Individuals with eating disorders or disordered eating may be more likely to misuse these drugs to suppress hunger and maintain extreme levels of caloric restriction, which can be life-threatening. 

Medications that make food intake less desirable can fuel unhealthy behaviors like extreme dieting or starvation, compounding the physical and emotional toll of the disorder. When taking these medications, you become more and more disconnected from your body’s natural hunger and fullness cues. 

Second, the normalization of GLP-1RA use as a “solution” to weight loss can further entrench the stigma surrounding eating disorders. People with eating disorders often feel misunderstood and ashamed of their behaviors, and the promotion of GLP-1RAs as a socially acceptable weight loss tool only reinforces the belief that weight loss is a moral and societal obligation. 

It subtly shifts the conversation away from the real, often deeply painful psychological issues that underlie eating disorders. The claim that these medications are a “solution” to “obesity” (a term that is stigmatizing on its own) is a harmful message.

Harmful Physical Impacts on the Body

The physical effects of GLP-1RAs, especially when misused, can be harmful to the body. While these drugs are generally considered safe for short-term use under medical supervision, their misuse for weight loss can lead to several serious side effects. These include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain—symptoms that may encourage people to eat even less, further exacerbating issues of malnutrition or dehydration.

More concerning, however, are the long-term effects of GLP-1RA use on metabolism, the digestive system, and overall health. Since GLP-1RAs slow gastric emptying and reduce appetite, they can cause metabolic disruptions. For individuals already at risk for nutrient deficiencies, these disruptions can result in severe consequences. Prolonged misuse of GLP-1RAs may lead to muscle loss, weakened immune function, and an increased risk of gastrointestinal disorders.

Additionally, there are potential risks for cardiovascular health. While GLP-1RAs have been shown to have some protective effects on the heart for those with type 2 diabetes, the long-term use of these drugs in healthy individuals for weight loss could have unintended consequences. Weight loss that occurs too quickly or unnaturally can stress the cardiovascular system, increase the risk of gallstones, and disrupt the body’s hormonal balance.

A Dangerous Trend: Encouraging More Harm Than Help

The current trend of using GLP-1RAs as a quick-fix weight-loss tool is an alarming example of how diet culture continues to harm individuals and distort the understanding of health. The rise of these medications has led to an increase in medical professionals prescribing them for off-label use in healthy individuals, often without adequate screening or long-term guidance.

These drugs do not address the underlying psychological and social issues that contribute to body dissatisfaction. They merely mask the symptoms by suppressing hunger and promoting intentional weight loss, all while reinforcing harmful societal standards of thinness. For individuals with eating disorders, this trend is particularly damaging, as it exacerbates disordered behaviors and undermines recovery.

If you are currently taking a GLP-1RA or are considering ways to get to the root of disordered eating, eating disorder, or body image, you are not alone and there is support available to you.

At Lift Wellness Group, we offer distinct levels of care that are designed to support you. Our team of compassionate and highly trained clinicians and staff are here to support you in your recovery. 

Outpatient Services: Working with a Lift therapist or dietitian will provide individualized care as you navigate mental health, disordered eating, or eating disorder recovery.

Our Partial Hospitalization Program (PHP) and Intensive Outpatient Program (IOP) are highly structured and comprehensive programs that focus on holistic healing and recovery from mental health and eating disorders.

Our admissions team is here to lend a listening ear and find a program that is the best match for you. Connect with us today at (203) 908-5603.

Written by Allison Cooke, Certified Intuitive Eating Counselor and MSW Student