From social media claims to questions about safety, UConn Health OB/GYN and obesity medicine specialist Dr. Jason Schneider explains what patients should really know.
Few medications have generated as much conversationand as much misinformationas GLP-1 medications.
Originally developed to help people with Type 2 diabetes manage blood sugar, medications such as Wegovy®, Ozempic®, Zepbound®, and Mounjaro® have quickly become household names as highly effective treatments for obesity.
Their popularity has sparked countless headlines, celebrity endorsements, viral TikTok videos, and endless online debates. Along with the excitement has come confusion.
Are they safe? Do people have to stay on them forever? Are they simply appetite suppressants? Is taking one "cheating?"
According to Dr. Jason Schneider, an OB/GYN at UConn Health who is board certified in obesity medicine, many of the biggest misconceptions stem from an outdated understanding of obesity itself.
"For decades we've viewed obesity primarily as a failure of willpower," Schneider said. "Today, the science tells us something very different. We now understand obesity is a complex chronic disease influenced by genetics, hormones, metabolism, brain signaling, environment and many other factors. These medications didn't change obesity, they changed our ability to treat it."
Below, Schneider separates fact from fiction.
