In my thirties, my body began to “betray” me. After years of running marathons, working out, and eating well, I found myself struggling with unexplained weight gain, fatigue, joint pain, and digestive issues. I didn’t realize at the time that these were symptoms of deeper, interconnected health issues, including Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and celiac disease. My experience with GLP-1 weight loss drugs has been part of a broader journey toward navigating the challenges of chronic illness with a supportive health care team. It was a slow and circuitous process ...

As obesity rates continue to rise in the United States, researchers have pointed toward numerous causes: ultra-processed foods, lack of physical activity, and genetics, among others. Interventions to reduce weight have been well-discussed by public health officials and physicians. Yet years of counseling on increasing physical activity and changing dietary habits has not had the desired impact on population obesity rates. The issue of weight has often been frustrating for physicians and patients alike. Despite the multifactorial causes of obesity, physicians ...

Glugacon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist medications have taken social media and celebrity news by storm. Your patients have likely heard about these medications – sold under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic, and the GLP-1/GIP receptor agonist tirzepatide (sold as Mounjaro or Zepbound) – and their effectiveness for weight loss well before the topic is broached in your exam room. So, you might be asking yourself, what exactly have they heard online? ...

With the development and expanded use of medications for the treatment of obesity, we are able to broaden the tools we can offer patients to treat this condition. Medications like Wegovy and Ozempic have become household names. These medications are classified as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists. Glucagon-like peptides are hormones that are naturally produced in the gut (intestines) that help regulate blood sugars and hunger signaling. Since these natural hormones last in our bodies for only a few minutes, GLP-1 medications create longer lasting signaling to potentiate ...

The prevalence of obesity has surged in the setting of the obesity epidemic. Among U.S. children and adolescents 2-19 years old, over the ten years between 2007-2008 and 2017-2018 the prevalence of obesity increased from 16.8 percent to 19.3 percent while severe obesity rose from 4.9 percent to 6.1 percent. Nationally, a greater percentage of non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic children are

Obesity is a challenging and increasingly prevalent medical concern worldwide. The relationship between obesity and numerous other medical conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular concerns, and certain types of cancer is well established. The etiology of obesity is multifaceted; medical, biological, psychological, social, and cultural influences differentially contribute to its development and persistence. As such, it is important to approach obesity and weight loss with the aim of optimizing metabolic health through ...

Note: this piece is an update to the 2024 article Integrating Weight Management in Primary Care, published in this journal, which outlined practical methods to initiating and monitoring patient-centered weight management in a primary care setting. This article specifically addresses the use of GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonists. The availability and increasing popularity of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) ...

I have had the privilege of practicing primary care for over 20 years at a community health center in Chelsea, Mass. This vibrant city is the dignified home to a diverse and proud community. It is also home to a lower-income population, living in a historically red-lined zone with sweltering urban heat islands that routinely experience temperatures 6°F higher than the National Weather Service’s regional report. With overcrowded residential buildings sandwiched among numerous ...

Advances in artificial intelligence (AI), especially since ChatGPT first gained wide recognition in 2022, have led to a wide array of potential applications and solutions for challenges in delivering improved primary care. There are several reasons to be optimistic that these technologies will be a positive transformative force, and some particular areas in which health care systems may also need to exercise some degree of caution. The following are some areas in which we might expect to see clinical improvements as an impact of AI integration, and some ...