When a natural bodily process is harnessed and manufactured as a drug, there’s probably trouble ahead.
Take the hormone glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1). It’s released when we eat in order to stimulate insulin.
But GLP-1 does more than regulate blood sugar. It also suppresses appetite by slowing the passage of food from the stomach.
Sure enough, the weight loss industry latched on to this and brought us the drug Ozempic, whose active ingredient is semaglutide.
Originally meant to treat type 2 diabetes, it’s also marketed in a higher dose (with a hefty price) as Wegovy to anyone willing to pay for the weight loss “miracle drug.”
And now, experts are sounding new alarm bells about harmful impacts…
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Semaglutide can rob you of muscle mass
According to a study presented at ENDO 2025, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in San Francisco, women and older adults taking these anti-obesity drugs may be at higher risk for muscle loss.
For adults with obesity, losing muscle is already a common side effect of weight loss.
But according to Dr. Melanie Haines of Harvard Medical School, about 40% of the weight loss experienced by women and older adults taking semaglutide-based drugs is not fat loss, but rather the loss of lean muscle.
Since muscle helps control blood sugar (and support bone health), it’s not surprising that the researchers also saw less improvement in HbA1c levels among this group. Not only does muscle increase insulin sensitivity, but it also takes glucose from the bloodstream to fuel muscle cells.
In fact, sarcopenia — age-related loss of muscle mass — is tied to health complications including diabetes.
Additionally, Dr. Haines and her colleagues found that eating less protein is also linked to greater muscle loss while on these drugs — and cautions that more studies are needed to find the best way to lose fat but keep muscle when using GLP-1 medications.
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Other proven dangers, and better alternatives
Muscle loss is just the latest in a series of findings that should make you think twice before using semaglutide as a weight loss strategy.
A large study at Massachusetts Eye and Ear Hospital, one of the country’s largest neuro-ophthalmology clinics, found an association between semaglutide and non-arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION), an irreversible and uncommon condition causing damage to the optic nerve and, ultimately, permanent loss of vision.
And both Wegovy and Ozempic have black box warnings. A black box warning is the most serious type of health warning mandated by the FDA.
Such a warning, usually prominently featured on a drug’s label, is reserved for serious adverse reactions or special problems associated with a drug.
A safer alternative is to help your body do its job naturally by eating foods that balance and strengthen your hunger hormones, stabilize blood sugar and help you feel full.
Berries create a feeling of fullness, and their anthocyanin content makes the body more sensitive to insulin.
Oats contain beta-glucan, a form of fiber singled out in a study to mimic how GLP-1 agonists work, without the harmful side effects.
Protein has been shown to suppress ghrelin, the hormone that signals hunger.
The only side effect here is that it could take you a little longer to lose weight than if you took drugs, and it may require some exercise. But building your muscles is also going to help keep your blood sugar under control.
But using the right foods to achieve your weight loss goals will leave you with good eating habits you can use for the rest of your life and won’t leave you with side effects like diarrhea… or an empty bank account.
Sources:
Semaglutide melts fat—but may quietly strip away your strength — Science Daily
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