Dr. Andrew Weil

07/09/2025

Why GLP‑1-Based Products Are Growing in Popularity
In recent years, GLP‑1-based medications and supplements have captured increasing public attention—and for good reason. Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, GLP‑1 receptor agonists have demonstrated an additional benefit that many didn’t expect: effective and sustainable weight loss.
GLP‑1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, is a naturally occurring hormone in the body that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite. When GLP‑1 levels rise, it signals the brain that you’re full, slows down stomach emptying, and helps lower blood sugar after eating. These effects make it a powerful ally for people struggling with overeating or difficulty managing their weight.
Unlike fad diets or appetite suppressants that often come with harsh side effects or short-term results, GLP‑1-based therapies work with your body’s natural systems. They’re not about starving yourself or overexercising—they help restore balance, reduce cravings, and promote gradual, healthy weight loss.
Clinical trials and real-world success stories have fueled demand. In fact, some GLP‑1 products have even helped users lose over 15% of their body weight with long-term use, a significant result supported by science.
What’s more, many modern GLP‑1 formulations are now available in easy-to-use oral solutions or capsules, making them more accessible and user-friendly than ever before—without the need for injections or complicated medical procedures.
As obesity rates rise globally, people are seeking smarter, science-backed solutions. GLP‑1-based products stand out because they don’t just address the symptoms of weight gain—they target the root cause: appetite regulation and metabolic health.
In a world that’s tired of quick fixes and yo-yo dieting, GLP‑1 therapies offer something rare: real hope.

07/09/2025

GLP‑1 Receptor Agonists: A Clinically Proven Tool for Weight Loss
GLP‑1 receptor agonists (GLP‑1 RAs) were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, but have since emerged as powerful agents for weight management. These medications mimic the effects of the natural GLP‑1 hormone, which plays a key role in appetite regulation and glucose metabolism.
In major clinical trials such as the STEP, SUSTAIN, and SURMOUNT series, GLP‑1 RAs like semaglutide and liraglutide have shown significant weight-loss effects. Participants using these medications experienced average weight reductions of 10–15% over treatment periods ranging from 12 to 68 weeks. In some cases, individuals with severe obesity lost more than 20% of their body weight—results comparable to those seen after bariatric surgery.
GLP‑1 RAs work by reducing hunger, delaying gastric emptying, and improving satiety. They also help regulate insulin and glucagon secretion, improving blood sugar control. Beyond weight loss, patients may benefit from improvements in cardiovascular health, liver function, and blood pressure.
These treatments are generally well tolerated, though some people may experience mild side effects such as nausea or bloating, especially in the early stages. Most side effects diminish over time.
Importantly, the effectiveness of GLP‑1 RAs is greatly enhanced when combined with healthy lifestyle changes such as balanced eating and regular physical activity.
In summary, GLP‑1 RAs offer a scientifically supported, non-surgical solution for individuals struggling with obesity or weight-related health conditions. As research continues, they are becoming a cornerstone in the fight against obesity—helping patients not only lose weight, but also improve their overall health and quality of life.

07/09/2025

How Do GLP‑1 Receptor Agonists Help with Weight Loss?
GLP‑1 receptor agonists are a class of medications that mimic the effects of a natural hormone called GLP‑1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1). Originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes, these medications have gained widespread attention for their ability to support safe and effective weight loss.
So how do they work?
GLP‑1 is released naturally after eating and has several important roles in the body. It helps regulate blood sugar by increasing insulin and lowering glucagon (a hormone that raises blood sugar). But more importantly for weight loss, it acts on the brain’s appetite centers.
GLP‑1 receptor agonists reduce hunger, increase feelings of fullness, and slow stomach emptying—meaning you feel satisfied for longer after meals. This leads to reduced calorie intake without the need for strict dieting or willpower-driven restrictions.
In addition to appetite control, some studies suggest that GLP‑1 may improve metabolic health by promoting fat breakdown and reducing inflammation. People using these medications often experience steady, sustainable weight loss over weeks or months.
GLP‑1 receptor agonists are usually taken via injection or oral solutions and should always be used under medical supervision. Common medications in this class include semaglutide, liraglutide, and others.
While not a “magic cure,” GLP‑1 receptor agonists provide a science-backed, hormone-based strategy to help people who struggle with obesity or metabolic issues—especially when combined with a healthy lifestyle.
If you’ve tried diets without long-term success, GLP‑1 therapies may be a game changer worth discussing with a healthcare provider.

07/09/2025

What is GLP‑1? A Deep Dive into This Powerful Hormone
GLP‑1, short for Glucagon-Like Peptide‑1, is a naturally occurring hormone produced in the intestines in response to food intake. Though small in size, GLP‑1 plays a big role in how our bodies manage blood sugar, hunger, and even weight.
When we eat, GLP‑1 is released and acts on several organs. In the pancreas, it stimulates the release of insulin (which lowers blood sugar) and suppresses glucagon (which raises it). In the brain, it helps reduce appetite and increase feelings of fullness. It also slows down gastric emptying, meaning food stays in the stomach longer—this helps prevent blood sugar spikes and promotes satiety.
Because of its multitasking abilities, GLP‑1 has become a key target in treatments for type 2 diabetes and obesity. Medications called GLP‑1 receptor agonists mimic this hormone to help people lower their blood sugar and lose weight effectively, often without extreme dieting or intense exercise.
In summary, GLP‑1 is more than just a gut hormone—it's a vital messenger that helps regulate energy, metabolism, and hunger. Understanding how it works may open the door to better health, especially for those struggling with weight or blood sugar issues.

07/09/2025

When the body needs energy, it breaks down fat into fatty acids and glycerol, which are then circulated and used by muscles and other tissues. If the body takes in more energy than it uses, the excess energy is converted to fat and stored in fat cells, leading to weight gain and fat accumulation. As women age, they may notice an increase in abdominal fat even if they are not gaining weight. This condition can be attributed to the weakened circulation and slowed metabolism that typically accompany the aging process.

07/09/2025

The availability of endoluminal bariatric and metabolic therapies (EBMTs) approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for obesity has increased significantly. In this article, part 2 of a series, Dilhana S. Badurdeen, M.B.B.S., M.D., discusses small bowel EBMTs, including the duodenojejunal bypass sleeve, duodenal mucosal resurfacing or ablation, pharmacological duodenal exclusion therapy, duodenal mucosal electroporation therapy, and gastric mucosal ablation.
Dr. Badurdeen and Vivek Kumbhari, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D., gastroenterologists at Mayo Clinic in Florida, are co-authors of a review article published in a 2023 issue of Current Opinion in Gastroenterology that summarizes the current state of EBMTs.
"The aims of small bowel endoluminal bariatric and metabolic therapies vary," explains Dr. Badurdeen. "Some of these therapies attempt to prevent the passage of ingested nutrients to the proximal small intestine, replicating the effects of gastric bypass surgery. Others are designed to target duodenal mucosal cells, with the goal of modifying the incretin pathway to enhance insulin sensitivity."
Duodenojejunal bypass sleeve
The duodenojejunal bypass sleeve is an endoscopically inserted implant that prevents nutrient digestion and absorption at the proximal small intestine. Using a self-expandable metal stent, the endoscopist anchors the device to the duodenal bulb and places a Teflon sleeve into the proximal small bowel.

04/29/2025

When the body needs energy, it breaks down fat into fatty acids and glycerol, which are then circulated and used by muscles and other tissues. If the body takes in more energy than it uses, the excess energy is converted to fat and stored in fat cells, leading to weight gain and fat accumulation. As women age, they may notice an increase in abdominal fat even if they are not gaining weight. This condition can be attributed to the weakened circulation and slowed metabolism that typically accompany the aging process.

04/29/2025

Hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiovascular and renal disease in the US and worldwide. Obesity contributes to much of the risk of primary hypertension through several mechanisms, including neurohormonal activation, inflammation, and renal dysfunction. As the prevalence of obesity continues to increase, so will hypertension and associated cardio-renal disease unless more effective obesity prevention and treatment strategies are developed. Lifestyle changes, including diet, reduction of sedentariness, and increased physical activity, are commonly recommended for people with obesity; however, these strategies have had limited long-term success in reducing fat, maintaining weight loss, and lowering blood pressure. Effective pharmacological and procedural strategies, including metabolic surgery, are additional options for treating obesity and preventing or mitigating obesity hypertension, target organ damage, and subsequent disease. Medications are available for short- and long-term obesity treatment, but prescriptions for these medications are limited. Metabolic surgery is effective for sustained weight loss, treatment of hypertension and metabolic disorders in many patients with severe obesity. Many questions remain unanswered about the pathogenesis of obesity-related diseases, the long-term efficacy of different treatment and prevention strategies, and the timing of these interventions to prevent obesity- and hypertension-mediated targets.

04/29/2025

The availability of endoluminal bariatric and metabolic therapies (EBMTs) approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for obesity has increased significantly. In this article, part 2 of a series, Dilhana S. Badurdeen, M.B.B.S., M.D., discusses small bowel EBMTs, including the duodenojejunal bypass sleeve, duodenal mucosal resurfacing or ablation, pharmacological duodenal exclusion therapy, duodenal mucosal electroporation therapy, and gastric mucosal ablation.
Dr. Badurdeen and Vivek Kumbhari, M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D., gastroenterologists at Mayo Clinic in Florida, are co-authors of a review article published in a 2023 issue of Current Opinion in Gastroenterology that summarizes the current state of EBMTs.
"The aims of small bowel endoluminal bariatric and metabolic therapies vary," explains Dr. Badurdeen. "Some of these therapies attempt to prevent the passage of ingested nutrients to the proximal small intestine, replicating the effects of gastric bypass surgery. Others are designed to target duodenal mucosal cells, with the goal of modifying the incretin pathway to enhance insulin sensitivity."
Duodenojejunal bypass sleeve
The duodenojejunal bypass sleeve is an endoscopically inserted implant that prevents nutrient digestion and absorption at the proximal small intestine. Using a self-expandable metal stent, the endoscopist anchors the device to the duodenal bulb and places a Teflon sleeve into the proximal small bowel.
"A number of studies have investigated the safety and efficacy of this treatment for patients with poorly controlled diabetes mellitus," explains Dr. Badurdeen. "Although this device has demonstrated the potential to address obesity and metabolic disorders by targeting the proximal small intestine, it has not yet obtained FDA approval. More information will be available after the completion of another multicenter study in the United States."
Duodenal mucosal resurfacing (DMR)
Also known as duodenal mucosal ablation, this is an endoscopic technique that involves mucosal injection, lifting and ablation with a device that targets the distal 10 cm of duodenal mucosa after the major papilla. Several models of this device are available, some of which are FDA approved for adults with inadequately controlled type 2 diabetes (T2DM) on long-acting insulin. Other models are undergoing clinical trials for patients with suboptimally controlled T2DM.
"DMR appears to improve glycemic control independent of weight loss," explains Dr. Badurdeen. "Participants in a multicenter study had decreases in HbA1c and fasting blood sugar levels, which were maintained at 12 months, and improvements in insulin resistance."
Pharmacological duodenal exclusion therapy
This approach involves the use of a proprietary pH-activated mucin complexing polymer that is designed to enhance the duodenum's natural mucous barrier. The polymer is not absorbed and provides a temporary barrier that replicates duodenal exclusion physiology.
"This approach is aiming for results similar to gastric bypass surgery," explains Dr. Badurdeen. "A phase 1 randomized double-blinded safety clinical trial demonstrated that the polymer was safe at doses up to 6 grams per day, with some mild to moderate adverse effects reported, mostly at higher doses," explains Dr. Badurdeen. "Although the researchers observed a significant reduction in postprandial glucose levels on day 1, that reduction was not sustained through day 5, with similar results observed for postprandial bile acid increases. Results from a phase 2 double-blinded, randomized clinical trial that are not yet published may provide additional insights."
Duodenal mucosal electroporation therapy
This approach — also known as re-cellularization via electroporation therapy (ReCET) — uses pulsed electric fields targeting the duodenal mucosa. The goal is to improve regulation of blood glucose and insulin levels by inducing controlled electroporation and apoptosis of duodenal cells, which then regenerate and restore their original function. Read more about the preliminary results from the REGENT-1-US trial and Mayo Clinic researchers' involvement in the development and testing of the ReCET procedure here.
Gastric mucosal ablation (GMA)
Also called gastric mucosal devitalization (GMD), this minimally invasive bariatric procedure is designed to emulate the weight-independent metabolic effects of laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG). During GMA, the endoscopist selectively ablates the gastric mucosal cells, inducing weight loss by manipulating metabolic pathways.
In an article published in Obesity Surgery in 2022, Drs. Badurdeen and Kumbhari and colleagues determined the optimal ablation parameters and that the optimal percent surface area to ablate is 70%. Overall, they observed an improvement in glucose and lipid metabolism and favorable cardiovascular changes in the animals that were randomized to GMD.
Drs. Badurdeen and Kumbhari and others are now conducting clinical trials to assess the feasibility and safety of GMA. In the COMET EF — Step 1 study, the researchers assessed the histopathological outcome and safety of ablation in combination with submucosal saline injection. They successfully performed ablation on stomach tissue sites that were resected 3 to 5 days later during planned sleeve gastrectomy in six research participants with obesity.
The Comet EF — Step 2 is a prospective, single-arm pilot study conducted at two sites. This study is designed to determine if ablating up to 70% of the gastric mucosa in a two-step procedure is technically feasible, safe and tolerable as a therapeutic approach for patients with obesity. Research participants are adults with class 1 to class 3 obesity who receive two treatment sessions, eight weeks apart. The researchers will note the total body weight loss at six months after the last treatment session.

04/29/2025

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04/29/2025

Obesity is rising among individuals diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), a trend that has led researchers to question how it may impact the natural history of IBD.
To shed light on this topic, Mayo Clinic researchers conducted a population-based study in a cohort of individuals with newly diagnosed Crohn's disease (CD). The results of that study were published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology in 2024.
"Recently published data suggest that obesity, particularly increased visceral adiposity, may negatively impact IBD-specific outcomes such that patients experience an increased risk of penetrating or fibrostenotic disease, a reduced response to biologic therapies, and a higher risk of postoperative Crohn's recurrence. But the full extent of these impacts is not well understood," explains Amanda M. Johnson, M.D., lead author on the study publication. Dr. Johnson is a gastroenterologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.
Dr. Johnson and co-authors sought to describe the prevalence of obesity in the study population and the impact obesity has on disease phenotype and outcomes, including corticosteroid use, hospitalization, intestinal resection, and development of fistulizing or penetrating disease.
Study methods
The researchers performed a chart review of Olmsted County, Minnesota, residents diagnosed with CD between 1970 and 2010 whose medical records included body mass index (BMI) data within six months of their diagnosis. They analyzed the proportion of individuals considered obese at the time of CD diagnosis and how that changed over time. Using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, they assessed any CD-associated complications that occurred within that cohort, including hospitalizations, corticosteroid use and intestinal resection.
Results
Among 334 individuals diagnosed with CD, 156 (46.7%) were classified as overweight (27.8%) or obese (18.9%) at the time of diagnosis.
Participants classified as overweight or obese tended to be older at the time of their CD diagnosis (42.3 and 44.3 years, respectively) as compared with those who were considered underweight or normal weight (31.6 and 35.8 years, respectively).
Over the course of the 40-year study period, the proportion of patients classified as obese at the time of CD diagnosis increased two- to threefold. During the 1970s, approximately 9% of individuals diagnosed with CD had comorbid obesity, though this proportion rose to more than 20% of individuals diagnosed between 2000 and 2010.
Obesity at the time of CD diagnosis did not appear to significantly impact future risk of corticosteroid use, hospitalization, intestinal resection, or the development of penetrating and stricturing complications.
"Our findings demonstrate that obesity is increasingly common in patients with Crohn's disease, with rates having more than doubled in recent decades," explains Dr. Johnson. "It is important to note that the presence of obesity was captured at the time of Crohn's disease diagnosis, and thus should not have been impacted by weight gain from factors like corticosteroid use or smoking cessation."
Dr. Johnson and co-authors acknowledge that this study had a few limitations. Patients diagnosed with CD in 1970s did not have access to the same advanced therapies available today. This creates a more heterogenous population, leading to the possibility that associations between obesity and CD-related outcomes may have been overlooked or skewed. Additionally, although BMI is widely used as a measure of obesity, the researchers note that it is not the most accurate surrogate measure. Dr. Johnson notes that prospective studies including measures such as visceral adipose tissue assessment may help researchers paint a clearer picture of how obesity affects CD outcomes.
Overall, Dr. Johnson notes that this study provides some useful takeaways for clinicians.
"It is important for us as care providers to be mindful that many patients with IBD are struggling with comorbid obesity," says Dr. Johnson. "This fact may have negative implications for our patients' general health outcomes as well as potentially their IBD outcomes. Additional research is needed to better understand how to provide the most effective and safest weight-loss therapies to patients with IBD, as these individuals are typically excluded from clinical trials of these interventions."
"It is important for us as care providers to be mindful that many patients with IBD are struggling with comorbid obesity. This fact may have negative implications for our patients' general health outcomes as well as potentially their IBD outcomes."
— Amanda M. Johnson, M.D.
Additional related research
The 2024 study publication is a part of a larger research effort that Dr. Johnson and co-investigators are conducting. "The ultimate goal of these studies is to augment our ability to provide more evidence-based approaches and personalized care to patients struggling with both obesity and IBD," says Dr. Johnson.
In a 2023 publication in The American Journal of Gastroenterology, Dr. Johnson and colleagues shared the results from a single-center experience with the use of anti-obesity medications in patients with IBD. They also affirmed the safety and efficacy of endoscopic bariatric therapies in a cohort of seven patients with IBD and published those results in Obesity Surgery in 2023.

11/19/2024