GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) have changed weight loss treatment for the better. That said, people taking these medications might be less inclined to keep up with other healthy habits, research out today shows. Doctors at HSHS Saint John’s Hospital in Illinois and others examined Fitbit data from people with obesity who were prescribed a GLP-1 medication. People’s level of physical activity significantly decreased after starting a GLP-1, they found. Though preliminary, the study’s findings suggest that promoting exercise should be an important part of managing the care of patients who go on these drugs, the researchers say. The GLP-1 paradox While exercise isn’t a major driver of weight loss, at least for most people, it’s long been recommended alongside diet. When people lose weight, they lose both fat and lean body mass, some of which can include muscle. Exercise can help stave off this muscle loss and maintain people’s physical strength and functioning.
Though people can lose weight through lifestyle changes alone, the addition of GLP-1 therapy has proven to be much more effective on average. The researchers wanted to understand how people taking these drugs might alter their level of exercise, so they turned to data from the All of Us research program, an ongoing project that tracks the health of a large, diverse group of Americans.
