Yes, they can have side effects!
The GLP-1 receptor agonists Ozempic, Wegovy, and similar peptides are used to treat obesity. The FDA has GLP-1 drugs approved for people with type 2 diabetes, obesity, or being overweight, but because of their effect on body weight, people now use them to slim down in the absence of these indications.
In some patients, the use of GLP-1 drugs improves cardiovascular outcomes, shows a reduced risk of kidney disease, a reduced desire to drink alcohol, and potentially protects against neurodegenerative diseases as well.
According to Sangarino et al., there is also preliminary evidence suggesting that the use of these drugs could lead to new diagnoses of restrictive eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa. In particular, overweight patients with pre-existing mental health conditions are more susceptible to developing eating disorders following GLP-1A treatment compared to those without a mental health history. The risk of death among people with anorexia nervosa is more than five times as high as that in the general population.
Similar to obesity, anorexia nervosa is a complex metabolic illness, frequently accompanied by coexisting psychiatric conditions, and influenced by environmental factors.
There are important areas of mechanistic overlap in the underlying biology of the two conditions, which may represent targets for drug development in anorexia nervosa.
The most common side effects of GLP-1 antagonists are gastrointestinal, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, as the body adjusts to slowed digestion.
Reference
Sagarino T, Luciano S. Impact of GLP-1a treatment on eating disorder incidence: a comparative, real world data study in patients with and without pre-existing mental health conditions. Presented at ISPOR 2024, Atlanta, May 5–8, 2024. PubMed
Semchishen SN, Højlund M, Lemaire D, et al. All-cause and cause-specific mortality risk in individuals with eating disorders: systematic review and meta-analysis of relative risk and aggravating or attenuating factors. World Psychiatry 2026;25:125-140. PubMed
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