InsideOut Institute’s statement on GLP-1 Agonists

Insideout Institute has recently launched a survey on GLP-1 Agonists. The statement below outlines the views of InsideOut Institute on the subject.

InsideOut does not promote the use of GLP-1 agonists. Research efforts that emerge from our research team will always be focused on understanding the nature and mechanisms of these medications, not promoting their use.

At InsideOut, our mission is to transform the prevention, early intervention and treatment landscape for people with eating disorders in Australia and to ultimately find a cure through innovative research. As new medications emerge which may have implications for individuals with eating disorders, we seek to increase our understanding of how they work, and their potential risks and benefits through research. Understanding how weight loss medications like GLP-1 agonists work may provide insights into key drivers of appetite and weight, which could inform future, novel treatments for eating disorders.

We are particularly interested in understanding the ways in which these medications may interact with or influence disordered eating.

Currently there is mixed evidence as to whether these medications will be beneficial or cause harm for individuals with or at-risk of eating disorders. With any medication there is a potential for misuse that needs to be acknowledged. This is particularly true for weight-loss medications which alter appetite regulation and can hence facilitate restrictive eating and unhealthy weight loss. There are also reports of these drugs having potential to reduce some types of disordered eating, like binge-eating, by reducing food cravings, emotional eating and improving eating control.  It is important that the risks and benefits of new medications are well understood to help prescribing clinicians and people considering using them to make well informed decisions.

InsideOut acknowledges our collective understanding of these medications is limited.

These medications have been found to have appetite and reward-altering properties that may help with weight loss. However, we have limited understanding of the long-term effects of taking these relatively new medications. Can these medications be taken safely in the long-term? Are the weight-loss effects reversed when individuals come off these medications?

Only limited evidence has examined the use of these medications among individuals with eating disorders. Preliminary trials have noted a decrease in binge eating among individuals with binge eating disorder following receipt of these medications. Further research is needed to verify these effects and explore how this may take place.  

InsideOut acknowledges the increased and ongoing popularity of GLP-1 agonists in the community.

Significant media hype has widely popularized GLP-1 agonists. Demand for Ozempic (semaglutide) has quickly exceeded supply, causing worldwide shortages of the medication. However, these supply issues have not deterred individuals from seeking out Ozempic, with many turning to unregulated sources, such as online websites, and others seeking out different types of GLP-1 agonists (e.g., Mounjaro, Trulicity) in place of Ozempic. With no evidence of a slowing in interest in these medications, it seems these medications are here to stay with us. This is not a “fad” and warrants ongoing research efforts.

We support the need for a dedicated research effort to ensure researchers, clinicians and the wider workforce are well informed about the risks and possible benefits of GLP-1 agonists to appropriately guide and inform the care of people with eating disorders

At the moment, advice on the use of these medications is largely based on clinician judgement and concern. We need further research into the range of risks and benefits that these medications present, particularly for individuals with eating disorders, in order to better inform public health advice.