Trending Now - Doctors Warn as Eating Disorder Patients Turn to Glp-1s
WHO:
Yahoo - Stevee Williams, a restaurant manager in Houston, was diagnosed with anorexia at 17.
Yahoo - Rebecka Peebles, vice president of adolescent medicine at Monte Nido, a national eating disorder treatment provider.
Yahoo - Wendy Oliver Pyatt, co-founder of Within Health and Galen Hope, a Florida treatment center.
Yahoo - Rebecca Boswell, director of the Princeton Center for Eating Disorders.
Yahoo - Elizabeth Wassenaar, regional medical director for Eating Recovery Center.
Yahoo - Shirley D., a 62-year-old Navy veteran diagnosed with binge eating disorder.
Yahoo - AJ Jasper, a 40-year-old social worker in Chicago who has struggled with anorexia for about 30 years.
Yahoo - Novo Nordisk, manufacturer of Ozempic and Wegovy.
Yahoo - Eli Lilly, manufacturer of Zepbound.
WHAT:
Gizmodo - Between the second quarter of 2021 and the first quarter of 2026, GLP-1 prescriptions among U.S. adults increased more than fourfold, from 1,884 to 8,819 prescriptions per 100,000 patients.
Gizmodo - The percentage of people with obesity in the dataset declined from 42% to 41% over the same time period.
Gizmodo - The drop in the obesity rate was larger among those who had previously received a GLP-1 prescription, falling from 75% to 69%.
Gizmodo - Only about 12% of Americans are currently taking a GLP-1, while 6% have since stopped taking them.
Gizmodo - The out-of-pocket costs of GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have significantly dropped, though they can still cost hundreds of dollars a month without insurance.
Yahoo - Stevee Williams ordered Wegovy pills for $149 online.
Yahoo - An estimated 420,000 people could develop an eating disorder with long-term use of GLP-1 drugs, according to a perspective article in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Yahoo - The recommended caloric intake is at least 1,600 calories for women and 2,000 for men.
Yahoo - Shirley D. lost about 30 pounds, reaching 189 pounds, down from a maximum weight of 240 pounds.
Yahoo - AJ Jasper dropped 50 pounds within three to four months after using GLP-1s.
WHERE:
Yahoo - Houston, Texas, where Stevee Williams resides.
Yahoo - Dayton, Nevada, where Shirley D. lives.
Yahoo - Chicago, Illinois, where AJ Jasper resides.
WHEN:
Yahoo - A study published last year in the journal Obesity Reviews documented the effects of GLP-1s on patients.
Yahoo - Eli Lilly announced a new experimental GLP-1 drug on Thursday that resulted in an average of 28 percent weight loss in a late-stage clinical trial.
WHY:
Yahoo - Patients are turning to GLP-1 drugs due to heavy promotion and easy access, despite the risks associated with eating disorders.
Yahoo - Providers report that GLP-1s suppress natural hunger cues, undermining treatment for eating disorders.
HOW:
Gizmodo - Countries like Canada and India have recently approved cheaper generics of semaglutide, but it will likely take another five years before these generics could reach the U.S.
Yahoo - Patients are obtaining GLP-1 prescriptions by lying about their age and weight online or through pediatricians with parental consent.
Yahoo - Medical societies recommended routine screening for eating disorders when GLP-1 drugs are prescribed, but such screenings are not routinely conducted.
(UPDATED May 27, 2026 08:21 UTC)
Recent data shows that GLP-1 prescriptions among U.S. adults have skyrocketed more than fourfold from the second quarter of 2021 to the first quarter of 2026, rising from 1,884 to 8,819 prescriptions per 100,000 patients. During this same period, the obesity rate in the dataset saw a slight decline from 42% to 41%, with a more significant drop among those previously prescribed GLP-1 medications, falling from 75% to 69%. While the out-of-pocket costs for GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy have decreased, they still remain quite high, and it may take another five years for cheaper generics of semaglutide approved in countries like Canada and India to become available in the U.S.
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(UPDATED May 27, 2026 06:25 UTC)
In a concerning trend, patients are increasingly turning to GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound, despite the associated risks of developing eating disorders, with an estimated 420,000 people potentially affected by long-term use. Individuals such as Stevee Williams from Houston and AJ Jasper from Chicago have reported significant weight loss after using these medications, with Jasper dropping 50 pounds in just a few months. Medical professionals are urging routine screenings for eating disorders when these drugs are prescribed, but unfortunately, such screenings are not consistently implemented.