In recent years, several qualitative studies have given us field notes of patients describing their experiences having larger bodies and interacting with the health care system: “I think that medical professionals will often cut people off about other medical concerns and blame everything on being overweight. Patients need to have their other ...

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, more commonly referred to as GLP-1s, have undoubtedly garnered much fanfare the past five years. This class of medications is prescribed for many indications including diabetes, weight loss, and to reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke in adults with heart disease. The first GLP-1, Byetta (exenatide), was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2005 to treat diabetes mellitus Type 2. It was not until 2014 that the first GLP-1 was ...

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 ...

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 ...

On April 16, 2024, I took night call for the last time, 64 years after I first took night call. For the last few months, I have been thinking about all of the changes I have seen relating to the nature and content of my time being on call. After my first year at Harvard College in 1959, my mother—the chief technologist in a hospital hematology lab—thought it would be useful for me to get training as a hematology technician during the summer so I could get a job when I returned to school in the fall. She arranged summer work for me in a hematology lab, and when I returned ...