These four key healthy cat diet tips will help you understand how to use food to keep your feline friend lean and full of energy!
Obesity is a common health issue in cats. In fact, it’s estimated that over 60% of cats are overweight or obese. Luckily, it’s easy to prevent, and there are plenty of reasons you should take steps to do so. Excess weight can shorten their lifespan, reduce their quality of life, and cause health conditions like diabetes, joint problems, and heart and liver disease. Regular play and exercise are essential components for a healthy lifestyle, but the real key to preventing obesity in cats lies in their food bowl. Here are four healthy cat diet tips that will help you keep your kitty lean, happy, and healthy!
1. Practice Portion Control
Overfeeding is one of the biggest contributors to cat obesity. The easiest way to combat it is by feeding your cat twice daily instead of allowing them to free feed, which can easily lead to constant snacking, overeating, and weight gain. And be sure to measure the proper amount of food for your cat based on the feeding guidelines provided by your vet or the food manufacturer.
2. Adjust Calories Based on Life Stage and Activity Level
Cats have different caloric needs depending on their age and how active they are. Kittens need more calories and nutrients to support growth, while adults and seniors typically require fewer calories. Spayed or neutered cats also have slower metabolisms and may gain weight more easily. Similarly, indoor cats who aren’t as active as outdoor cats may need a weight-maintenance formula. Regular checkups with your veterinarian will help you stay on track with a healthy cat diet.
3. Prioritize Nutrient-Rich Cat Foods
While it is important to pay attention to the number of calories your cat consumes, it’s just as important to make sure they’re getting the right nutrients. Cats are obligate carnivores, and they thrive on meat-rich diets. Look for foods with real animal protein as the first ingredient, minimal carbohydrates, and no artificial additives. High-quality foods ensure your cat gets the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients they need while also helping them feel satisfied with smaller portions.
4. Keep Treats and Human Food to a Minimum
Treats are okay, as long as they’re just that—treats. They shouldn’t make up more than 10% of your cat’s daily calories. And that includes human food. Even though some human foods are safe for cats (like lean meats, salmon, tuna, and even some vegetables), you must be careful not to overfeed. When you do feed treats, prioritize nutrient-dense ones. Here are some things to look for:
Single- or minimal-ingredient treats
Meat as the first ingredient
No added salt or sugar
Real-food ingredients
A Healthy Cat Diet Starts with NutriSource Recipes!
NutriSource has been nourishing cats for over 60 years with nutrient-dense foods, prioritizing high-quality ingredients and meat-rich recipes that supply cats with the calories and nutrients they need to maintain energy and a healthy body condition. They have a variety of options for cats of all ages in their NutriSource, Element, and PureVita lines, including grain-inclusive options, grain-free recipes, and weight management formulations, all of which feature animal protein as the first ingredient.
Visit NutriSource to learn more and find the purrfect healthy cat diet for your feline friend!
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Animal Wellness is North America’s top natural health and lifestyle magazine for dogs and cats, with a readership of over one million every year. AW features articles by some of the most renowned experts in the pet industry, with topics ranging from diet and health related issues, to articles on training, fitness and emotional well being.
By Ernie Mundell HealthDay ReporterTUESDAY, Nov. 25, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Women who stop taking a GLP-1 weight loss/diabetes medication just prior to a pregnancy appear to be at higher odds for excess weight gain and complications while pregnant, new research shows.
As the study authors pointed out, potential risks to the fetus of using a GLP-1 while pregnant remain unclear, so current recommendations advise discontinuing the drugs prior to or during a pregnancy.
However, doing so may bring about its own hazards, concluded a team from Mass General Brigham in Boston.
“Additional studies are needed on the balance of pre-pregnancy benefits of GLP-1s with the risks associated with interrupting them for pregnancy,” said study senior author Dr. Camille Powe. She’s a Mass General Brigham endocrinologist and co-director of the Diabetes in Pregnancy Program at Massachusetts General Hospital.
According to study lead author and pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Jacqueline Maya, the use of GLP-1s by women “has increased dramatically.”
Speaking in a hospital news release, she said the study focused on how GLP-1 “discontinuation affects weight gain and outcomes during pregnancy.”
To do so, the researchers tracked the medical records of almost 1,800 pregnancies cared for by the Mass General Brigham healthcare system between 2016 and 2025.
Most of these pregnancies occurred among women with obesity.
Outcomes for women who had received a GLP-1 prescription “within three years before and up to 90 days after conception” were compared to women who had not gotten a GLP-1 prescription during that time.
Differences in outcomes were significant.
Women who’d stopped the drugs prior to a pregnancy had an average weight gain during their pregnancy that was 7.2 pounds higher than women who hadn’t used a GLP-1, the researchers said.
The GLP-1 group also had a 32% higher odds that the amount of weight they gained while pregnant was unhealthy.
As for complications, women who’d discontinued a GLP-1 prior to pregnancy had a 30% higher risk of developing diabetes while pregnant, a 29% higher risk of blood pressure issues during pregnancy, and a 34% higher risk for preterm delivery, the study found.
The team saw no differences when it came to risks for high or low birth weight or Cesarean delivery.
Because the study was retrospective in nature, it couldn’t prove that GLP-1 discontinuation caused any excess in pregnancy risks, only find associations.
Still, Powe said the findings might put women with obesity in a quandary when debating whether to use a GLP-1 prior to a pregnancy.
“We need to do more research to find ways to help manage weight gain and reduce risks during pregnancy when stopping GLP-1 medications,” she said.
Find out more about how GLP-1 medications work at the Mayo Clinic.
SOURCE: Mass General Brigham, news release, Nov. 24, 2025
As the daughter of immigrants, I had no idea what the Freshman 15 was. That ignorance disappeared quickly when I went home for Thanksgiving freshman year and stepped on the scale for the first time since starting college. Why is weight gain at university so anecdotally common?
Researchers decided to investigate the matter. By tracking the food intake and factors such as eating behaviors and environment of dozens of American college students, the team found that the college environment facilitates tendencies that lead to eating more and thus gaining more weight.
“Social and environmental factors are key determinants of eating behavior. College students are affected by the eating environment, especially where they eat and whom they eat with,” Y. Alicia Hong, a professor in the Department of Health Administration and Policy at George Mason University, said in a university statement.
Food tracking
Hong and her colleagues analyzed data provided by 41 racially and ethnically diverse 18- to 25-year-old American college students. Over four weeks, these participants recorded their dietary intake through a dietary tracking app and filled out daily surveys on their eating behaviors, environment, and mood and stress levels. In total, the students logged 3,168 eating occasions.
“Our research found that they consume more calories when eating in groups or formal dining settings,” added Hong, lead author of the study published last month in the journal mHealth. Specifically, the results suggest that the participating students eat less when they are alone or at home and more in groups of two or above and in locations such as dining halls or restaurants.
Interestingly, they seemed to be oblivious to these behaviors. In the surveys, the students reported eating less in groups and formal settings, revealing a disconnect between their perception of food consumption and the amount of calories they were actually eating.
Other differences
What’s more, “significant gender differences were observed with males consuming more calories in social settings and females underreporting intake in formal dining environments,” the researchers wrote in the study. “Other factors affecting eating behaviors included body mass index (BMI), mood, and stress levels.”
Bottom line—the eating behaviors of college students are complicated, Hong explained. Individual, interpersonal, and environmental factors all play a role in the amount of food they eat. Ultimately, the study highlights the significance of using digital tools in dietary assessment and how important it is to consider the broader context when conducting dietary interventions.
I, for one, am still wondering how we managed to eat so much abysmal dining hall food—though someone should probably also take a look at the extra calories college students consume via alcohol.
If asked whether one would prefer to be too skinny or fat, chances are most people would reply that they’d rather be too skinny. Distorted standards of beauty and their propagation on social media are certainly to blame for this, in addition to the knowledge that being overweight typically brings along a host of health risks. A new study, however, suggests that being too thin can actually be deadlier.
Researchers used health data to investigate the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality in 85,761 individuals, revealing that people can be “fat but fit.” They presented their results at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD), which started today.
BMI measures fat based on height and weight and classifies individuals as underweight (less than 18.5), normal (18.5 to less than 25), overweight (25 to less than 30), obese (30 to less than 40), or severely obese (40 and over). In the research, scientists divided the normal range into lower normal (18.5 to <20), middle normal (20.0 to <22.5), and upper normal (22.5 to <25.0). 81.4% of the studied participants were female, and the median age was 66.4 years. Researchers accounted for sex, comorbidity level, and education level.
What BMI range has higher mortality?
“There are conflicting findings about the BMI range linked to lowest mortality,” Sigrid Bjerge Gribsholt, lead author of the research and a researcher at Aarhus University’s department of clinical medicine, said in a European Association for the Study of Diabetes statement. “It was once thought to be 20 to 25 but it may be shifting upward over time owing to medical advances and improvements in general health.”
7,555 (8%) of the participants died during the team’s five years of follow-up, and researchers compared the likelihood of mortality in different BMI ranges to that of people with a BMI in the upper normal level. Their results indicate that underweight individuals were 2.73 times more likely to die than upper-normal individuals. Lower-normal individuals were two times more likely to die, and middle-normal individuals were 27% more likely to die than upper-normal individuals. Interestingly, overweight individuals as well as individuals in the lower part of the obese range (30.0 to <35.0) were just as likely to die as upper-normal individuals.
Researchers sometimes call this being metabolically healthy or “fat but fit.” Individuals with a BMI between 35 and less than 40, however, were 23% more likely to die. Severely obese people (BMI of 40 and over) were 2.1 times more likely to die than upper-normal individuals. In other words, a high BMI was not linked to higher mortality until a score of 35, and even scores between 35 and <40 only had a slightly higher risk of death. The team found similar patterns of mortality in the relationship between BMI and obesity in different ages, sexes, and levels of education.
“In line with earlier research, we found that people who are in the underweight range face a much higher risk of death,” Gribsholt said. A possible explanation could be that some people lose weight from illness. “In those cases, it is the illness, not the low weight itself, that increases the risk of death, which can make it look like having a higher BMI is protective,” she admitted. However, “it is also possible that people with higher BMI who live longer—most of the people we studied were elderly—may have certain protective traits that influence the results.”
BMI doesn’t reveal everything
What’s more, fat distribution plays an important role in an individual’s health, said Jens Meldgaard Bruun, a co-author of the study and also a researcher at Aarhus University’s department of clinical medicine. “Visceral fat—fat that is very metabolically active and stored deep within the abdomen, wrapped around the organs—secretes compounds that adversely affect metabolic health,” he explained. As such, people with a BMI of 35 who are apple-shaped (with fat around their abdomen) may have adverse health conditions that don’t affect others also with a BMI of 35 but who have fat on their hips, backside, and thighs.
“It is clear that the treatment of obesity should be personalized to take into account factors such as fat distribution and the presence of conditions such as type 2 diabetes when setting a target weight,” Bruun concluded.
Eli Lilly and Company released Zepbound (tirzepatide) 2.5 mg and 5 mg single-dose vials for adults living with obesity, and announced the medicines are available for self-pay for patients with an on-label prescription. The company said it significantly expands the supply of Zepbound in response to high demand.
The single-dose vials are priced at a 50% or greater discount compared to the list price of all other incretin (GLP-1) medicines for obesity. This new option helps millions of adults with obesity access the medicine they need, including those not eligible for the Zepbound savings card program, those without employer coverage, and those who need to self-pay outside of insurance.
“We are excited to share that the Zepbound single-dose vials are now here, further delivering on our promise to increase supply of Zepbound in the U.S.,” said Patrik Jonsson, executive vice president, and president of Lilly Cardiometabolic Health and Lilly USA. “These new vials not only help us meet the high demand for our obesity medicine, but also broaden access for patients seeking a safe and effective treatment option. In a clinical study, the 5 mg maintenance dose helped patients achieve an average of 15% weight loss after 72 weeks of treatment and has been a powerful tool for millions of people with obesity looking to lose weight and keep it off.”
Lilly has created a new self-pay pharmacy component of LillyDirect where patients with a valid, on-label prescription from the health care provider of their choice can purchase the vials. Distributing the vials via this channel ensures patients and providers can trust they are receiving genuine Lilly medicine, building on the company’s efforts to help protect the public from the dangers posed by the proliferation of counterfeit, fake, unsafe or untested knock-offs of Lilly’s medications.
Lilly has also taken a vocal stance against the use of obesity medicine for cosmetic weight loss; a multi-step verification process will help ensure the vials are dispensed only to patients who have a valid, on-label electronic prescription from their health care provider. Patients can also purchase ancillary supplies, like syringes and needles, and will have access to important patient-friendly instructional materials on correctly administering the medicine via needle and syringe.
“People living with obesity have long been denied access to the essential treatment and care needed to manage this serious chronic disease,” said James Zervos, chief operating officer, Obesity Action Coalition. “Expanding coverage and affordability of treatments is vital to people living with obesity. We commend Lilly for their leadership in offering an innovative solution that brings us closer to making equitable care a reality. Now, it’s time for policymakers, employers and insurers to work with pharmaceutical companies to ensure no one is left behind in receiving the care they deserve and need.”
A four-week supply of the 2.5 mg Zepbound single-dose vial is $399 ($99.75 per vial), and a four-week supply of the 5 mg dose is $549 ($137.25 per vial) – less than half the list price of other incretin medicines for obesity and in line with the Zepbound savings program for non-covered individuals. The self-pay channel enables a transparent price by removing third-party supply chain entities and allowing patients to access savings directly outside of insurance.
“Despite obesity being recognized as a serious chronic illness with long-term consequences, it’s often misclassified as a lifestyle choice, resulting in many employers and the federal government excluding medications like Zepbound from insurance coverage,” said Jonsson. “Outdated policies and lack of coverage for obesity medications create an urgent need for more innovative solutions. Bringing Zepbound single-dose vials to patients will help more people living with obesity manage this chronic condition. We will also continue to advocate for a system that better aligns with the science.”
In a clinical study, tirzepatide 5 mg, along with a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity, achieved an average of 15% weight loss over 72 weeks compared to 3.1% for placebo. Zepbound is the first and only obesity treatment of its kind that activates both GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) hormone receptors. Zepbound tackles an underlying cause of excess weight. It reduces appetite and how much you eat. Zepbound is indicated for adults with obesity, or those who are overweight and also have weight-related medical problems, to lose weight and keep it off. Zepbound should be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. It should not be used in children under 18 years of age or with other tirzepatide-containing products or any GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines. Zepbound has not been studied in patients with a history of pancreatitis, or with severe gastrointestinal disease, including severe gastroparesis, and it is unknown if patients with a history of pancreatitis are at higher risk for developing pancreatitis on Zepbound.
Zepbound is also available in 2.5 mg, 5 mg, 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg, or 15 mg per 0.5 ml doses in a single-dose pen (autoinjector). The recommended maintenance dosages are 5 mg, 10 mg, or 15 mg injected subcutaneously once weekly.
To learn more about the Zepbound® single-dose vial, please visit Lilly online.
Our furry friends age much faster than we do, and before we know it, our once-bouncy puppies become slower, grayer, and a bit creakier. But just because your dog is getting on in years doesn’t mean they can’t still enjoy a great quality of life.
There’s no magic solution for older dogs, but with a few adjustments and some extra TLC, you can help your senior canine companion stay happy, healthy, and comfortable well into their golden years. By implementing these tips, you’re creating your own personal Longevity Formula tailored specifically to your aging pup’s needs.
1. Tailor Their Diet to Their Changing Needs
As dogs age, their nutritional needs change. Many older dogs struggle with weight gain due to decreased activity levels, while others might have trouble maintaining a healthy weight. Your aging pooch might benefit from switching to a senior dog food formula that’s easier to digest and tailored to their specific needs.
If your older dog is packing on the pounds, look for a lower-calorie option that still provides all the necessary nutrients. On the flip side, if your senior pup is losing weight, you might need a higher-calorie food or one with more protein to help maintain muscle mass.
Don’t forget about dental health either. Softer foods or kibble soaked in warm water can be easier on aging teeth and gums. And hey, who doesn’t love a little gravy on their dinner now and then?
2. Keep Them Moving (But Don’t Overdo It)
Exercise is crucial for dogs of all ages, but you’ll need to adjust your approach as your furry friend gets older. While your dog might not be up for the long hikes or intense fetch sessions of their youth, regular, gentle exercise can work wonders for their physical and mental health.
Short, frequent walks are often better than one long trek. If your dog has arthritis or joint issues, swimming can be a fantastic low-impact exercise option. Many areas have dog-friendly pools or hydrotherapy centers specifically for canines.
Indoor activities can be great too. Hide treats around the house for a stimulating scavenger hunt, or try out some gentle tug-of-war games. The key is to keep your dog active without pushing them too hard.
3. Make Your Home Senior-Dog Friendly
As your dog ages, they might start to have trouble with things that were once easy for them. A few simple changes around your house can make a big difference in your older dog’s comfort and safety.
If your dog is having trouble with slippery floors, put down some non-slip mats or rugs to give them better traction. This can prevent falls and make your dog feel more confident moving around.
For dogs with arthritis or joint pain, consider getting an orthopedic bed. These beds provide extra support and can really help ease aches and pains. Place a few of these comfy spots around the house so your dog always has a cozy place to rest.
If your dog is struggling with stairs, a ramp can be a game-changer. You can use it to help them get in and out of the car, onto the bed, or up short flights of stairs.
4. Stay on Top of Vet Check-Ups
Regular vet visits become even more important as your dog ages. Many health issues are more common in older dogs, and catching them early can make a huge difference in treatment outcomes.
Don’t wait for obvious signs of illness to take your senior dog to the vet. Schedule check-ups at least twice a year, even if your dog seems perfectly healthy. Your vet can run tests to catch potential problems before they become serious and advise you on any changes in care your dog might need.
Between vet visits, keep an eye out for any changes in your dog’s behavior, appetite, or energy levels. Older dogs can be good at hiding discomfort, so it’s up to us to be their advocates and speak up when something seems off.
5. Pamper Those Aging Joints and Muscles
Just like us, dogs can get achy and stiff as they age. A little extra attention to their physical comfort can go a long way.
Gentle massages can help soothe sore muscles and promote circulation. You don’t need to be a professional masseuse – just some gentle rubbing and kneading can feel great to your dog. It’s also a wonderful way to bond and check for any unusual lumps or bumps.
If your vet gives the okay, consider adding a joint supplement to your dog’s diet. Glucosamine and chondroitin are popular options that may help support joint health.
For dogs with arthritis, a heating pad (on low setting) or a warm towel can provide soothing relief. Just be sure to monitor closely to avoid burns, and never leave a heating pad on unattended.
Caring for an aging dog comes with its challenges, but it’s also an opportunity to deepen your bond and show your appreciation for all the love and companionship they’ve given you over the years. With these tips and a lot of love, you can help your senior dog enjoy their golden years to the fullest. After all, they’ve spent their whole life being your best friend – now it’s your turn to be theirs.
Animal Wellness is North America’s top natural health and lifestyle magazine for dogs and cats, with a readership of over one million every year. AW features articles by some of the most renowned experts in the pet industry, with topics ranging from diet and health related issues, to articles on training, fitness and emotional well being.
Since the beginning of the year, the country music artist has been training to participate in the 2 Bears 5K with Bert Kreischer and Tom Segura at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California, on May 7. He has put in a ton of work when it comes to training for the marathon. And now, he’s beginning to see some major results from his efforts!
In an interview published with People on Saturday, Jelly Roll revealed he has lost over 70 pounds! That is incredible! His workout routine? The 39-year-old singer explained:
“I’m probably down 70-something pounds. I’ve been really kicking ass, man. I’m doing two to three miles a day, four to six days a week. I’m doing 20 to 30 minutes in the sauna, six minutes in a cold plunge every day. I’m eating healthy right now.”
So far, Jelly Roll is happy with the results! Even when the Need a Favor artist’s marathon is done, he plans to continue with his fitness journey! In fact, he plans to lose another 100 pounds. The musician said:
“I feel really good. I was thinking, I plan on losing another 100, 100-and-something [pounds]. If I feel this good down this weight, man, I can only imagine what I’m going to feel like by the time I go on tour.”
Absolutely killing it, Jelly Roll! We are wishing him all the best as he continues his health journey! Reactions, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments below!
Imagine an older man goes in to see his doctor. He’s 72 years old and moderately overweight: 5-foot-10, 190 pounds. His blood tests show high levels of triglycerides. Given his BMI—27.3—the man qualifies for taking semaglutide or tirzepatide, two of the wildly popular injectable drugs for diabetes and obesity that have produced dramatic weight loss in clinical trials. So he asks for a prescription, because his 50th college reunion is approaching and he’d like to get back to his freshman-year weight.
He certainly could use these drugs to lose weight, says Thomas Wadden, a clinical psychologist and obesity researcher at the University of Pennsylvania, who recently laid out this hypothetical in an academic paper. But should he? And what about the tens of millions of Americans 65 and older who aren’t simply trying to slim down for a cocktail party, but live with diagnosable obesity? Should they be on Wegovy or Zepbound?
Already, seniors make up 26.6 percent of the people who have been prescribed these and other GLP-1 agonists, including Ozempic, since 2018, according to a report from Truveta, which draws data from a large network of health-care systems. In the coming years, that proportion could rise even higher: The bipartisan Treat and Reduce Obesity Act, introduced in Congress last July, would allow Medicare to cover drug treatments for obesity among its roughly 50 million Part D enrollees above the age of 65; in principle, about two-fifths of that number would qualify as patients. Even if this law doesn’t pass (and it’s been introduced half a dozen times since 2012), America’s retirees will continue to be prescribed these drugs for diabetes in enormous numbers, and they’ll be losing weight on them as well. One way or another, the Boomers will be giving shape to our Ozempic Age.
Economists say the cost to Medicare of giving new drugs for obesity to just a fraction of this aging generation would be staggering—$13.6 billion a year, according to an estimate published in The New England Journal of Medicine last March. But the health effects of such a program might also be unsettling. Until recently, the very notion of prescribing any form of weight loss whatsoever to an elderly patient—i.e., someone 65 or older—was considered suspect, even dangerous. “Advising weight loss in obese older adults is still shunned in the medical community,” the geriatric endocrinologist Dennis Villareal and his co-authors wrote in a 2013 “review of the controversy” for a medical journal. More than a decade later, clinicians are still struggling to reach consensus on safety, Villareal told me.
Ample research shows that interventions for seniors with obesity can resolve associated complications. Wadden helped run a years-long, randomized trial of dramatic calorie reduction—using liquid meal replacements, in part—and stringent exercise advice for thousands of overweight adults with type 2 diabetes. “Clearly the people who were older did have benefits in terms of improved glycemic control and blood-pressure control,” he told me. Other, smaller studies led by Villareal find that older people who succeed at losing weight through diet and exercise end up feeling more robust.
Such outcomes are significant on their own terms, says John Batsis, who treats and studies geriatric obesity at the UNC School of Medicine. “When we talk about older adults, we really need to be thinking about what’s important to older adults,” he told me. “It’s for them to be able to get on the floor and play with their grandchildren, or to be able to walk down the hallway without being completely exhausted.” But weight loss can also have adverse effects. When a person addresses their obesity through dieting alone, as much as 25 percent of the weight they lose derives from loss of muscle, bone, and other fat-free tissue. For seniors who, through natural aging, are already near the threshold of developing a functional impairment, a sudden drop like this could be enfeebling. Wadden’s trial found that, among the people who were on the weight-loss program for more than a decade, their risk of fracture to the hip, shoulder, upper arm, or pelvis increased by 39 percent. An analogous increase has turned up in studies of patients who undergo bariatric surgery, Batsis told me.
The effect of dieting on muscle and bone can be attenuated, but not prevented, through resistance training. And obesity itself—which is associated with higher bone density, but perhaps also reduced bone quality—may pose its own fracture risks, Batsis said. But even when a weight-loss treatment benefits an older patient, what happens when it ends? People tend to regain fat, but they don’t recover bone and muscle, Debra Waters, the director of gerontology research at the University of Otago, in New Zealand, told me. That makes the long-term effects of these interventions for older adults very murky. “What happens when they’re 80? Are they going to have really poor bone quality, and be at higher risk of fracture? We don’t know,” Waters said. “It’s a pretty big gamble to take, in my opinion.”
Villareal told me that doctors should apply “the general principle of starting slow and going slow” when their older patients are trying to lose weight. But that approach doesn’t necessarily square with the rapid and remarkable weight loss seen in patients who are taking semaglutide or tirzepatide, which may produce a greater proportional loss of muscle and bone. (For semaglutide, it appears to be about 40 percent.)
Then again, when given to laboratory animals, GLP-1 drugs seem to tamp down inflammation in the brain; and they’re now in clinical trials to see whether they might slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Their multiple established benefits could also help seniors address several chronic problems—diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease, and kidney disease, for instance—all at once. “Such a ‘one-stop shop’ approach can lead to reduction of medication burden, adverse drug events, hypoglycemic episodes, medication costs, and treatment nonadherence,” one team of geriatricians proposed in 2019.
Overall, Batsis remains optimistic. “As a clinician, I’m very excited about these medications,” he told me. As a scientist, though, he’s inclined to wait and see. It’s surely true that some degree of weight loss is a great idea for some older patients. “But the million-dollar question is: What’s the sweet spot? How much weight is really enough? Is it 5 to 10 percent? Or is it 25 percent? We don’t know.” Waters said that if Medicare is going to pay for people’s Wegovy, then it should also cover scans of their body composition, to help predict how weight loss might affect their muscles and bones. Wadden said he thinks that treatments should be limited to people who have specific, weight-related complications. For everyone else—as for the hypothetical 72-year-old man who is prepping for his college reunion—he counsels prudence.
To some extent, such advice is beside the point. Older people are already on Ozempic, and they’re already on Trulicity, and some of them are already taking GLP-1 drugs as a treatment for obesity. Truveta reported that the patients in its member health-care systems who are over 65 have received 281,000 prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs across the past five years. Given the network’s size, one can assume that at least 1 million seniors, overall, have already tried these medications. Millions more will try them in the years to come. If we still have questions about their use, mass experience will start providing answers.
You’re invited to explore our roundup of the 10 best smart scales for better health. In the age where tracking fitness and health has become as easy as checking your phone, a smart scale can be your best friend when turning to a healthier lifestyle.
Before we get into our reviews, let’s consider what makes a smart scale a must-have:
Accuracy and Consistency: Precision in weight and health metrics is key.
Body Composition Analysis: Look for scales that measure more than just weight, such as BMI, body fat percentage, and muscle mass.
Compatibility with Fitness Apps: Seamless syncing with health apps adds convenience.
User-Friendly Design: A scale that caters to multiple users and offers an intuitive interface is ideal.
Additional Features: Some scales come with unique capabilities like heart rate monitoring or compatibility with smartwatches.
With these essential tips in mind, let’s check out our top picks from Amazon to find a scale that’s just right for you. Smarter health tracking is within reach!
Best for: Comprehensive body composition analysis
Key specs: 400-pound weight limit, 0.2-pound readout accuracy, glass material, Bluetooth connectivity, compatibility with Fitbit, Google Fit, and Apple Health
The RENPHO Smart Scale is a sleek and modern bathroom scale that does more than just measure your weight. It’s a health partner, syncing seamlessly with popular fitness apps to track your journey toward better health. With a high weight capacity and precise measurements, it’s designed for everyone who’s serious about monitoring their health metrics.
Pros
RENPHO’s Smart Scale can track 13 essential body measurements, offering a detailed picture of your health beyond just body weight. This includes metrics like BMI, body fat percentage, and muscle mass, all conveniently stored in its user-friendly app.
Its weigh-in accuracy, build quality, and overall value are all very appealing, offering high-end features without being overly fancy. The scale’s Bluetooth connectivity ensures easy syncing with your health apps, keeping all your health data in one place.
Cons
The reliance on Bluetooth rather than Wi-Fi might limit its connectivity range for some users.
Best for: Comprehensive view of fitness progress
Key specs: Heart rate monitoring, TFT display, rechargeable, compatible with Apple Watch and various health apps, sync with Alexa, multiple user profiles
The Etekcity Smart Scale is a front-runner among body weight scales. It offers more than just weight tracking. It’s a fusion of style and functionality designed to cater to the detailed needs of fitness buffs everywhere.
Pros
Etekcity’s Wi-Fi scale goes beyond the ordinary with its full biometric analysis. Why settle for just weight numbers when you can have insights into 14 different metrics, including muscle and fat composition? Plus, its interactive TFT display keeps you engaged and informed.
The scale’s connectivity with health apps like Apple Health and MyFitnessPal and smart features like Alexa integration make it a seamless addition to any lifestyle. The rechargeable feature ensures you’re always powered up for your next health check.
Cons
The plethora of metrics and app integrations could be intimidating for those new to smart health devices. Because the scale relies on Wi-Fi connectivity, you might hit a snag in tracking your progress during internet downtimes.
Best for: In-depth body composition analysis and seamless digital connectivity
Key specs: Tempered glass, 397-pound weight limit, Bluetooth connectivity, syncs with various health apps, measures 13 essential body composition metrics
The Posture Scale for Body Weight is a sophisticated tool designed for those who take a keen interest in monitoring their health. The Bluetooth scale offers comprehensive health monitoring, sporting a sleek black design and tempered glass material.
Pros
The scale’s major strength lies in its ability to offer more than just weight readings. It targets 13 different body composition metrics, including body fat, BMI, and muscle mass, using bio-impedance measurement technology.
This gives users a fuller picture of their health beyond just pounds. Its compatibility with numerous fitness apps like Apple Health and Fitbit and its ability to create profiles for up to 24 users makes it a household favorite. The ease of connectivity is equally high, especially with iPhones and Samsung health systems.
Cons
There are some concerns about the scale’s weight accuracy and consistency. Despite its advanced technology, discrepancies in weight readings can be a setback for those who rely on precise measurements for their health goals.
Best for: Comprehensive body composition data
Key specs: Bluetooth connectivity, 14 key body composition metrics, syncs with major fitness apps, 400-pound weight limit
Arboleaf’s Body Weight Scale isn’t your everyday bathroom scale. It’s a smart device that offers an in-depth look into your body composition. With its sleek white design and advanced technology, this scale provides valuable insights into your health, syncing seamlessly with popular fitness apps for a holistic view of your wellness journey.
Pros
The Arboleaf Scale proves itself with its ability to deliver more than just weight measurements. You’re afforded 14 different health metrics, including body fat percentage and muscle mass. This is a scale to consider if you wish to understand your body better.
The Bluetooth functionality ensures it integrates smoothly with various fitness apps, enhancing its utility. Additionally, its user-friendly design supports multiple profiles, allowing your entire household to track their health goals effectively.
Cons
The requirement for 1.5V AAA batteries, specifically non-rechargeable batteries, could inconvenience some users, especially given that rechargeable devices are becoming the norm.
Best for: Health tracking and weight management for families
Key specs: 400-pound weight limit, 13 essential measurements, syncs with major fitness apps, Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, compatible with iOS and Android
Next up, we have ABYON’s Bluetooth Smart Bathroom Scale. It is a tool for comprehensive health management, measuring 13 different body compositions like BMI, body fat percentage, and water percentage. Add in Bluetooth connectivity and compatibility with popular fitness apps, and you have a seamless addition to any fitness routine.
Pros
What sets the ABYON scale apart is its commitment to a holistic approach to health. It offers a detailed analysis of body composition for those looking to tailor their diet and exercise plans accurately.
The ability to sync with apps like Fitbit and Apple Health adds further convenience while allowing users to track and analyze their progress over time.
Even better, its multi-user feature is fantastic for families or groups with shared health goals, as it can distinguish and record individual user data. This makes it not just a scale but a personalized health assistant for each family member.
Cons
ABYON’s Bluetooth scale brings a lot to the table, so it might not be the best choice for users looking for simplicity. Also, the scale’s accuracy can be compromised on uneven surfaces.
Best for: Multi-functional bathroom scale
Key specs: LED display, 397-pound weight limit, features like durable reliability, auto power off, and high precision
The Vitafit Anti-Slip Smart Digital Bathroom Scale is a health companion with over two decades of expertise in scale technology backing it. The unit promises exceptional accuracy in weight measurements.
It also boasts unique integration with health apps like Fitbit and Apple Health, making it a handy tool for those tracking their fitness journey.
Pros
The scale’s super precise measurements are perfect for anyone who’s really into tracking their weight. It gives you all the fine details, showing your weight in tiny 0.1-pound steps. It also works with those health apps we discussed, so you can keep an eye on your BMI and weight trends without any hassle.
Cons
Setting up multiple user profiles can be somewhat of a hassle. Also, the dependency on cloud services for data storage might raise privacy concerns for some users despite data security assurances.
Best for: Data-syncing with popular fitness apps
Key specs: Tempered glass, 397-pound weight limit, 0.2 pounds readout accuracy, Bioelectric Impedance Analysis (BIA) for body composition
The RENPHO Elis 1 stands out in the world of smart scales with its ability to connect seamlessly with major fitness apps. This scale dives deep into your health metrics, offering a detailed analysis of body composition, including BMI, bone mass, and even metabolic age, making it an ideal companion for your fitness journey.
Pros
The true charm of RENPHO Elis 1 lies in its precision and connectivity. This scale’s top-notch sensors and Bioelectric Impedance Analysis tech give you a clear picture of what’s happening with your body. It’s like having a personal health coach right in your bathroom.
It’s great for keeping tabs on body fat percentage, muscle mass, and water weight. Plus, it’s compatible with Fitbit App and can handle data for the whole family. So, this scale covers everyone’s health journey, whether it’s for you, your partner, or the kids.
Cons
There are some concerns about the consistency of weight measurements.
Best for: Comprehensive body health metrics
Key specs: 400-pound weight limit, works with Apple Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit, measures body fat, BMI, bone mass, muscle mass, and more
The Eufy Smart Scale C1 sports comprehensive health measurement capabilities and user-friendly features. If you’ve been wanting a wellness companion, the C1 provides a deep dive into your health stats. It does this all while keeping things simple with its seamless app integration and clear display.
Pros
Thanks to the super-sensitive G-shaped sensors, the C1 delivers accurate measurements consistently. Users find this reliability important for tracking fitness progress effectively. Another major plus is its compatibility with popular fitness apps like Apple Health, Google Fit, and Fitbit.
This feature simplifies monitoring your health journey, making keeping tabs on various metrics a breeze. The scale’s family-friendly design is another highlight that allows up to 16 users to track their health trends on one account.
Cons
The scale’s advanced metrics might be overwhelming for users new to fitness tracking. A slight learning curve may be in order.
Best for: Detailed body composition measurements
Key specs: Body mass index (BMI), basal metabolic rate (BMR), body water, bone density, fat mass, lean body mass
The Inevifit Smart Premium Bathroom Scale is a comprehensive body composition scale. It excels in providing a detailed analysis of various health metrics, making it a top pick for those who are serious about tracking their overall health. The scale’s precision in measuring BMI, BMR, and other key health indicators places it a step ahead in the smart scale market.
Pros
This scale shines due to its remarkable accuracy in measuring a wide array of body metrics, such as body water percentage, bone density, and lean body mass. It feels like a personal health assistant rather than just a scale.
Its ability to sync with fitness trackers and smartwatches makes it stand out, integrating seamlessly into your health and workout routine. The comprehensive data, including graphs and metrics, help in making informed health decisions.
Cons
Individuals with a pacemaker or other electronic medical devices should avoid this scale, as it uses a mild electrical current to measure body composition.
Best for: Tracking body weight and BMI
Key specs: Offers BMI and body weight measurements, easy-to-read display, compatible with fitness trackers
Etekcity’s Bathroom Scale is a fantastic health monitoring tool. It measures body weight and BMI, essential metrics for tracking overall health. The scale’s clear display and compatibility with popular fitness trackers make it a top pick for health-conscious individuals.
Pros
The Etekcity Bathroom Scale excels in simplicity and functionality. Its ability to measure both body weight and BMI is a boon for anyone monitoring their health progress.
Its seamless integration with various fitness trackers sets it apart, enhancing your health monitoring experience. This integration means you’re getting raw data and a comprehensive overview of your health, making it easier to track progress and set realistic fitness goals.
Cons
It doesn’t offer advanced body composition measurements like body water percentage, bone density, or visceral fat, which are important for a detailed health analysis. This lack of comprehensive data might leave those who are more detail-oriented or focused on specific health goals wanting more.
The Bottom Line
Whether you’re into fitness or just starting on your health journey, the right smart scale can make a world of difference. From tracking weight loss goals to a comprehensive body composition analysis, these scales offer a glimpse into your health beyond the ordinary.
Choose the one that aligns with your goals and start making informed decisions about your health and wellness today.
Sources
Bridget Reed is the Vice President of Owned Media & Content at GR0, an omnichannel digital marketing agency that has been serving a wealth of industries since 2020. Bridget’s expertise is rooted in results-driven content production, with a passion for producing high-quality, informational articles that serve valuable insights to consumers. Through the years, Bridget has worked with industry thought-leaders spanning the business, health, wellness, parenting, and tech industries, and brings this breadth of experience directly into the content she produces. McClatchy’s newsrooms were not involved in the creation of this content. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase through one of our links.
The latest weight-loss drugs are rightly hailed as game changers for obesity, but in an important way, they are just like every other method of managing weight: They work only to a point for weight loss. The pounds melt off quickly at first and then gradually and then not at all. You can’t lose any more no matter what you do. You’ve hit the weight-loss plateau.
It happens with dieting. It happens with bariatric surgery. And it happens now with both semaglutide (better known as Ozempic or Wegovy, depending on whether it’s prescribed for diabetes or weight loss) and tirzepatide (better known as Mounjaro or Zepbound). Weight loss triggers a set of powerful physiological changes in the body, which evolved over millions of years to keep us alive through periods of food scarcity. “Everybody plateaus,” says Jamy Ard, an obesity doctor at Wake Forest University. Exactly when varies quite a bit from person to person, but it happens after losing a certain percentage of body weight—meaning some people might plateau while still meeting the criteria for obesity.
For Wegovy, it’s after losing, on average, 15 percent, usually more than a year into starting the drug. For Zepbound, it’s about 20 percent. These numbers are higher than is sustainable through diet and exercise alone, but they also do not reach the 30 percent achievable via the gold standard of bariatric surgery.
These differences matter because they suggest that the level of the plateau is not permanently fixed. Recent advances in understanding the gut hormones that these drugs are designed to mimic hint at a possibility of even more powerful weight-loss drugs. Scientists are now testing ways to push the plateau down further; a drug could one day be even more effective than bariatric surgery.
All of this raises an unsettled question: “How much weight loss is enough?” says Jonathan Campbell, who studies gut hormones at Duke. In studies, even 5 to 15 percent weight loss can substantially reverse high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol. Yet a patient who starts at 375 pounds with a BMI of 60 might still find themselves ineligible for a joint replacement that requires a BMI below 40, flawed as BMI may be. Or they may simply want to look thinner. The explosion of weight-loss drugs has reopened thorny questions about how they should be used, but nevertheless, pharmaceutical companies are racing ahead to develop more and more powerful ones.
Weight loss is easiest at the beginning, before your body starts actively working against it. “Your brain doesn’t know you’re trying to lose weight on purpose,” Ard says. And once it notices, “it thinks that something is wrong.” So your body tries very, very hard to compensate.
First of all, you become hungrier, obviously. And not just because you want to eat as much as you did before; you actually want to eat more than you did prior to losing weight. “With every one kilogram you lose, your appetite goes up above baseline by 90 or so calories per day,” says Kevin Hall, who studies metabolism at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. At the same time, your body looks for ways to conserve energy. Your muscles work more efficiently, for example, Ard says, so walking that normally burned 100 calories might now burn only 90. By making you want to eat more and burning fewer calories, your body is eventually able to slow weight loss down to zero. Here is your plateau. This is, all told, a remarkably elegant and robust system, if what you wanted to do is to maintain your weight.
If you’re in fact trying to lose more weight, the plateau is psychologically frustrating. The same diet, the same exercise routine, the drug on which you were just losing weight will seem to have stopped working—but they haven’t. (If they did actually stop working, you would be regaining weight.) But your body is now fighting so hard against the weight loss that it requires a persistent effort just to keep the weight off, Hall says. Should you ease up, the weight will come right back, as seen in yo-yo dieting or weight regain after stopping Wegovy or Zepbound.
The only way to get past a plateau is to up the intensity or number of interventions. Doctors might recommend, for example, bariatric surgery and a weight-loss drug. But in the future, novel drugs might be able to pharmacologically up the intensity. The progression from Wegovy to the more effective Zepbound has in fact already brought us one step closer.
Wegovy and Zepbound both belong to a class of drugs that mimic a gut hormone called GLP-1. Both of these drugs bind GLP-1 receptors in the brain, which seems to reduce hunger. Zepbound goes a step further, though. It can also bind receptors for a second gut hormone, called GIP. Years ago, researchers noticed that bariatric surgery changes the balance of gut hormones in the body, including GLP-1 and GIP. This—and not just the physical shrinking of the stomach—is now understood to be a key driver of weight loss, to the point that bariatric surgery is sometimes called “metabolic surgery.” These observations inspired research into drugs that target not just GLP-1 but also GIP and other hormones. Essentially, they’re performing metabolic surgery with a drug rather than a scalpel.
Exactly why Zepbound outperforms Wegovy is still unclear. One obvious hypothesis is that it mimics a second gut hormone; the more hormonal pathways it can influence, perhaps, the more body parts it affects and the more weight loss it triggers. And a recent clinical trial of retatrutide, a further modified derivative of Zepbound that mimics a third hormone called glucagon, demonstrated even greater weight loss: 24 percent at the highest dose.
A second hypothesis suggests that the difference between Wegovy and Zepbound still goes back to GLP-1. Although both drugs bind that receptor, they tickle it slightly differently, setting off slightly different chain reactions. Wegovy seems to also activate some cellular machinery that acts as a break, possibly limiting its efficacy. This suggests another strategy for fine-tuning gut-hormone drugs: Companies have so far focused on trying to design one drug that binds to multiple hormone receptors, like a master key that can open three different locks. This was a practical choice, Campbell says, because trying to study three separate new drugs in clinical trials would be a logistical “nightmare.” But the optimal combination for weight loss might actually require individual keys that can jigger individual receptors in just the right way—that is, a double or triple combination of drugs.
It may also eventually be possible to keep increasing the dosage of GLP-1 drugs to push the weight-loss plateau down. Right now, the dose is limited by what people are willing to tolerate. The drugs can cause severe nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, so they have to be ramped up slowly over many weeks to induce tolerance and minimize side effects. But Novo Nordisk is trialing the drug in Wegovy at up to 16 milligrams a week, more than six times the current maximum dose. Tinkering with other gut-hormone pathways could also help with side effects. GIP receptors, for example, are found in neurons whose activation might suppress nausea, which may in part be why Zepbound seems to have slightly milder side effects.
Zepbound is likely the first of many leveling-ups from single-action GLP-1 drugs. Even as the science advances, no safe method of losing weight is meant to eliminate the weight-loss plateau—and indeed, you wouldn’t want to keep losing weight indefinitely. But lose more weight? Pharmaceutical companies are betting on a market for that. With obesity drugs projected to become a $100 billion industry by 2030, they are eager for a slice of that massive pie. “The dollar signs are so big now,” Campbell says. Zepbound is the newest weight-loss drug on the block, but it too may eventually be old news.
Gregory Galanis, a 42-year-old man who was born and raised in Canada, but now lives in North Carolina with his wife, told Newsweek in an interview last week that he lost the weight without surgery, weight loss medications or even exercising. Instead, he focused on battling his food addiction and making significant diet changes.
“I reached the point where I couldn’t even walk from the pain,” Galanis said. “I was a ticking time bomb, and I needed to make a change if I didn’t want to die at the ripe old age of 40.”
When he began his weight-loss journey on August 2, 2021, at 6 feet tall and 420 pounds, Galanis was more than 200 pounds over the “healthy” weight range, according to body mass index (BMI).
Gregory Galanis, 42, of North Carolina, stunned his loved ones when he lost 220 pounds in one year. Gregory Galanis
It took him a year to achieve his goal weight of 200 pounds through diet changes. Since then, Galanis said he’s managed to keep the weight off, but noted that “it’s a daily commitment.”
To shed the pounds, Galanis said he “delved into the science and math” of how weight loss works.
“I taught myself about how many calories I needed to consume per day in order to lose the weight,” he said. “I learned about my personal metabolic rate and how that changes over time. I learned what foods to eat that kept me full longer. At that point, I was too heavy to exercise. I lost 220 pounds just by changing my diet.”
He stopped eating all beef, pork, and chicken. Galanis said he now only eats lean fish as part of his daily protein intake, adding that he has embraced becoming a pescatarian because he feels like he has vastly more energy.
“I also cut out all alcohol,” he said. “I’ve learned how to cook vegetables in various ways, using all types of different spices, and cut out dressings and sauces. I eat fruit to satiate my sugar cravings. I still count my calories religiously and expect I always will.”
What He Eats in a Day
Galanis told Newsweek in an email on Sunday that he enjoys starting his day with a bowl of oatmeal with a touch of cinnamon for flavor and a scoop of protein powder. He said his breakfast is usually around 250 calories and gives him a “good serving of protein to start my day.”
“Before leaving the house for the day, I bring with me a small cooler with cut-up veggies and fruit,” Galanis said. “Usually baby carrots, celery, apples, and bananas. That keeps me going in between actual meals.”
For lunch, he’ll typically have something such as homemade tuna salad, saying he’ll eat it by itself or “over a bed of lettuce.”
Between lunch and dinner, he usually has a cup of coffee, without sweetener, and a protein bar.
As for dinner, he said it’s the meal that he looks forward to the most. Dinner usually consists of a vegetable stir fry with whatever fish or shrimp Galanis and his wife have at home. He said as long as the weather permits, he grills the veggies and fish.
“I have found that spices are the new spice of life, and my saving grace when it comes to preparing meals,” Galanis said. “Not only can I mix up the flavors, but there are no additional calories to spices.”
Galanis said when he’s grocery shopping he avoids store-bought sauces, saying they’re full of sugar.
“One thing that I’ve personally invented is what I call a Good Bowl,” he told Newsweek. “I prepare it on a Sunday, and it lasts for the week. It’s basically a chopped veggie bowl. I chop up whatever veggies I have like celery, cabbage, carrots, and cucumbers in small pieces and mix them all up in a large bowl. It stays sealed up in the fridge, and whenever I find myself in need of a snack, I help myself to a cup. There are very few calories in this, it’s full of fiber and keeps me full, and I can add a little lemon juice or vinegar instead of dressing.”
Galanis said he has also created several of his own low-calorie dips and dressings, which has made eating vegetables easier.
“I usually use zero sugar barbeque sauce, and add hot sauce to it,” he said. “I also use whatever spices I have to add flavor.”
He said he finishes eating any food for the day by 7 p.m.
Gregory Galanis, told Newsweek that he started at 420 pounds and it took him a year to achieve his goal weight of 200 pounds through diet changes. Since losing 220 pounds, Galanis said he’s managed to keep the weight off, but noted that “it’s a daily commitment.” Gregory Galanis
‘It’s a Lifelong Challenge’
Galanis said the most challenging part of his journey has been battling his yearslong food addiction, referring to himself as a “reformed drive-through aficionado.”
“I estimate that I would eat a minimum of 3,000 – 5,000 calories each day, just from my visits to fast food restaurants,” he said. “My addiction to food and my psychological dependence on it was real and continues to be a challenge. If I were to say that I’m completely over it, I’d be lying to myself and everyone reading this. I’ve learned to live with my addiction, and every day is a battle of it’s own.”
He told Newsweek that anyone can achieve what he did if they want it bad enough, saying they must want to make the change “more than anything else they’ve ever wanted.” However, he said reaching that weight-loss goal is “only the beginning.”
“For me, I’ve realized that it’s a lifelong challenge that I’ll need to fight for the rest of my life,” Galanis said. “My advice would be to acknowledge it and then to tackle it head-on. It’s mind over matter.”
Galanis said he utilized technology to assist with his journey, saying he uses the Samsung Health app to track everything he eats during the day. Before reaching his goal weight, he used Healthline to calculate his metabolic burn, based on his weight and activity level. Both resources are free, he added.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
A new study has found that babies exposed to cannabis in the womb may be at greater risk of certain adverse birth outcomes such as low birth weight and preterm birth.
A peer-reviewed study published Thursday in Addiction was a meta-analysis, or a compilation of information from 57 previous studies. Data samples from just under 13 million infants were analyzed including 102,835 infants who were prenatally exposed to cannabis. Data surrounding the frequency of preterm birth, low birth weight and NICU admissions collectively ranged from 1.5 to over two times as likely in the infants exposed to cannabis than in those who were not.
“Prenatal cannabis use appears to be associated with lower birth weight, preterm birth and neonatal intensive care unit admission in newborns, but there is little evidence that prenatal cannabis exposure adversely impacts behavioral or cognitive outcomes in early childhood, with the exception of attention and externalizing problems,” the study said.
According to the study, cannabis use during pregnancy did not lead to higher rates of infant mortality, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or birth defects. However, of the 57 studies analyzed, at least 48 of them registered higher rates of low birth weight, preterm birth and NICU admissions.
20 of the studies analyzed looked at possible associations between cannabis use and preterm birth. Infants exposed to intrauterine cannabis in these cases were reportedly over 1.5 times as likely to deliver early compared to infants who were not.
18 of the studies analyzed possible associations between low birth weight and intrauterine cannabis exposure. Infants exposed to cannabis in these cases were over twice as likely to be born at a low weight than infants who were not exposed.
Ten of these studies looked at possible associations between rates of NICU admissions in infants and found that infants who were exposed to cannabis were over twice as likely to be admitted to intensive care than those who were not exposed.
First author of the study and PhD Candidate at the Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto Ms. Maryam Sorkhou said in a written statement that this study reinforces data showing THC can enter the placenta when used during pregnancy.
“The global increase in cannabis use among women of reproductive age also extends to pregnant women. We know that THC, the main psychoactive constituent in cannabis, can cross the placenta from mother to fetus and bind to receptors in the fetal brain,” said. “Our study adds to that knowledge by showing that prenatal exposure to cannabis heightens the risk of several adverse birth outcomes.”
There are many drawbacks to this study and how the data was presented that should be taken into consideration before drawing any drastic conclusions, primarily sample size. The sample size of infants who were not exposed to cannabis compared to those who were was 130:1 in this case.
Additionally, the study offered no data on exposure to other drugs during pregnancy, a litany of which are known to cause adverse birth outcomes similar to those named in this study. Cannabis use does not necessarily indicate the use of other drugs, but that data would have been a welcome addition to the rest of the data presented from this study.
The topic of cannabis use during pregnancy is still a bit of a mixed bag. A 2019 study found that cannabis use during pregnancy is increasing in the United States. There have also been previous studies that found negative correlations between cannabis use and pregnancy, including another meta-analysis in 2022 that looked at 27 previous studies from between 1986 and 2022 and found cannabis use carried an increased risk for preterm births.
However, another study published just this year that looked at data from just under 3,000 births that took place between 1989 and 1993 and found that cannabis use during pregnancy did not increase the child’s risk for mental impairments or cognitive disorders. A NORML review of this study in 2017 said the following:
[The] evidence base for maternal-infant health outcomes of cannabis use in pregnancy is more robust than for many other substances. … Although there is a theoretical potential for cannabis to interfere with neurodevelopment, human data drawn from four prospective cohorts have not identified any long-term or long-lasting meaningful differences between children exposed in utero to cannabis and those not.”
At Christmas dinner, Jenny Burriss remembers eating exactly one bite of beef before feeling full. She had just upped her dose of semaglutide—the diabetes and obesity drug better known by the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy—and her appetite had plummeted. She had also lost her taste for alcohol, a side effect of the drug. So before her vacation a couple of months later, she decided to skip a dose. She was going to Disney World, and she wanted to enjoy the food—at least a little.
She was indeed hungrier after skipping her weekly injection, but not ravenously so. At the Biergarten buffet in Epcot’s Germany pavilion—where she might have once piled her plate high, justifying to herself that, after all, this is vacation—she was satisfied by just a small taste of everything. At the French pavilion, she savored a Grand Marnier orange slush. She didn’t lose weight at Disney World, but she didn’t gain any either.
Semaglutide works by suppressing the appetite and promoting a feeling of fullness. More fundamentally though, it works by altering one’s relationship with food. Doctors see the drug as a powerful biochemical tool to help patients build healthy long-term habits. Eating becomes a source not of comfort or pleasure, but simply of sustenance. “It takes a little bit of the enjoyment out of it,” Burriss told me. “But that’s healthy,” she added, for someone like her, who had a compulsive relationship with food. Semaglutide has helped her lose about 40 pounds. As the drug has exploded in popularity for weight loss, though, people who use semaglutide to reset their eating habits are navigating a world where food and the anticipation of it are still central to celebration. Semaglutide is meant to be taken regularly as a lifelong drug. So what to do on vacation, when enjoyment is kind of the point?
For some, deciding to forgo the dose while traveling is just a practical consideration. Semaglutide’s side effects usually taper off as the body adjusts, but they can range from the mildly inconvenient to the terribly uncomfortable: nausea, vomiting, fatigue, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, sulfur burps. No one wants to get hit with a bout of diarrhea as a plane is taking off.
For others, staying on the drug removes the compulsion and distraction of thinking about food. They enjoy that peace, even on vacation. Semaglutide quiets what some patients call the “food noise” in their brains: waking up in the morning and immediately wondering what to eat today. Mexican? Pizza? Oh, let me look at some menus. It can be overwhelming to experience and exhausting to constantly counter. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity-medicine doctor at Harvard, told me that her patients on semaglutide like being able to attend a wedding or a party “without having to worry about overindulging.” Janice Jin Hwang, an obesity-medicine doctor at the UNC School of Medicine, says she tells patients not to see vacations as cheat days. “I don’t like to make it a dichotomy where it’s your normal time and your vacation time,” she says, advocating instead for a more balanced approach all the time.
People who want to skip while on vacation, though, are swapping tips and experiences online, sometimes in lieu of official medical advice. By and large, those I spoke with, like Burriss, told me that they were looking for a middle ground, not to go completely overboard on food. “I certainly didn’t want to pig out,” says Sarah, who skipped a dose for a 10-year-anniversary trip to the Bahamas. “I just didn’t want to have that weird nauseous feeling or not be able to enjoy wine.” Sarah, whose last name I’m not using to protect her medical privacy, has always loved researching the best restaurants on vacation. This time, she felt some of the thrill of anticipation, but she ate moderately and chose healthy options, such as fresh fish. Allyson Gelman, who skipped while on vacation in Mexico City, told me she still ended up canceling an eagerly awaited 12-course tasting menu. When she eats too much or too unhealthily on semaglutide, she has to vomit; she’s sometimes had to run to the bathroom after overdoing it in a nice restaurant. In Mexico City, she could still feel the drug’s effects lingering in her system, and she knew she wasn’t getting through 12 courses without throwing up.
Semaglutide does take several weeks to clear from the body, so skipping just one dose attenuates but doesn’t eliminate the effects of the drug. Marnie, whom I’m also identifying by only her first name for medical privacy, has been regularly taking her prescribed Wegovy every other week. In the second week, she can feel her side effects start to fade and her hunger start to return. For her, skipping is largely about managing her side effects, because the drug still leaves her very tired. She’s probably losing weight more slowly this way, she says, but she’s okay with that. In certain cases, Stanford, the doctor at Harvard, told me she has instructed patients who don’t need the full dose for weight loss to go longer between injections to modulate severe side effects. (Bafflingly, she’s found that insurance won’t cover a smaller-dose injection pen.)
The explosion of interest in semaglutide is so new, though, that doctors and patients alike are still figuring out what it means in the long term—not just in two or three years, but in 20 or 30. How long do the effects last, and how permanent are these new habits? Burriss believes that, for her, there is room for the occasional indulgence, during a special event or vacation. “It’s not an everyday thing,” she said. And indulging while on semaglutide is still nothing like bingeing without it.
The Ozempic craze shows no signs of slowing. Demand for the drug, popularly used for weight loss, is so monumental that it is already changingthe diet industry and spurring a “marketing bonanza” among the dozens of telehealth start-ups that now prescribe it. A highly public ad campaign from one start-up, Ro, banks on the drug’s simple premise: “A weekly shot to lose weight.”
Never before has a weight-loss treatment been hyped this way and been able to deliver on its promise. Ozempic itself is technically a diabetes drug, but its active ingredient, semaglutide, has been approved by the FDA for weight loss under the brand name Wegovy, and can reduce a person’s body weight by up to 20 percent through a weekly injection. An even more powerful drug, known as tirzepatide, or Mounjaro, may soon be approved for weight loss, and a host of new medications are coming down the pipeline. All signs suggest that America is on the verge of a weight-loss revolution.
But for people with obesity, semaglutide isn’t even the most effective weight-loss treatment around—not even close. Bariatric surgery, which has existed for many decades, is still significantly more potent. This class of procedures, which, broadly speaking, reconfigure the digestive system so people feel less hungry and more full, is considered to be the “gold standard” for treating obesity, Holly Lofton, an obesity-medicine physician at NYU, told me. Most people experience weight loss of 50 percent and, with one procedure, up to 80 percent, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Despite the impressive abilities of the new crop of weight-loss drugs—and bold assertions that such drugs could someday replace surgery outright—several doctors told me that surgery will likely continue to be the top-line treatment for obesity, even as the medications improve. People may seek out treatment with the new drugs because they’re so popular, but “long term, there will be an increase in surgery,” Shauna Levy, a professor specializing in bariatric surgery at Tulane University School of Medicine, told me. The new drugs, however potent, may be less a revolutionary fix for obesity and more a powerful tool for treating it—one of many that already exist.
Unlike semaglutide, bariatric surgery, first introduced in the 1950s, took several decades to become accepted by the medical community. Initial attempts made people so sick that, at times, the surgery had to be reversed. The term bariatric surgery refers to several different procedures that reshape the gastrointestinal tract so that it absorbs fewer nutrients, holds less food, or both. These days, the most commonly performed surgery is called a Roux-en-Y, which shrinks the stomach to the size of a walnut—so people need less food to feel satisfied—and then reconnects it to the small intestine in a Y shape, rather than linearly. This gastric bypass lets food circumvent most of the stomach, leaving fewer opportunities for the body to harvest nutrients. In another common procedure, surgeons sculpt the stomach into a banana-size “sleeve” and toss the rest; another common type involves rerouting the intestines in a way that minimizes the area where calories can be absorbed.
But bariatric surgery does more than shrink gastrointestinal real estate. It exerts a less visible but equally powerful effect on the many different hormones that control hunger. Some procedures remove the part of the gut that produces the “hunger hormone,” ghrelin, while the rerouting of food through a Roux-en-Y ramps up the release of “incretin” hormones that create the feeling of fullness after eating.
In a sense, the new weight-loss drugs are essentially trying to re-create the effects of bariatric surgery: The success of these drugs is due to their ability to mimic the incretin hormones and get people to feel satisfied with less food. Semaglutide masquerades as the hormone GLP-1, whereas Mounjaro poses as both GLP-1 and GIP. But these are just two hormones; bariatric surgery “touches on multiple different hormones and different pathways” and, as such, is “more comprehensive,” Levy said. In one study, Mounjaro, considered the most powerful of the current crop of medications, led to 20 percent or more weight loss in 57 percent of people who took the highest dose—an impressive feat, but still a far cry from what is possible with surgery. Similarly, Ozempic and Mounjaro, both technically diabetes drugs, have powerful effects on blood-sugar levels over time, but many surgery patients “leave the hospital already in remission from their diabetes,” Levy said.
In addition to sheer potency, surgery is also much more affordable than these weight-loss drugs. Unlike the drugs, bariatric surgery is covered by Medicare if the patient meets certain criteria, including having a BMI equal to or greater than 35 and at least one comorbidity related to obesity. Many private insurers cover it too, albeit to varying degrees. Out of pocket, surgery costs $15,000 to $25,000—not cheap, but still cheaper than shelling out more than $1,000 a month indefinitely. “The patient must understand that they have to continue taking medication forever,” Lofton said. People who stop taking semaglutide generally regain the weight they lost. Lofton told me about one patient who had to forgo rent just to pay for the drugs: Factoring in insurance, “you can pay for three months of medicine and then have surgery at the same price.”
Neither treatment, of course, is without its potential downsides. Semaglutide can cause temporary but nasty side effects such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea—and though it is considered safe for treating obesity, long-term data on this usage span just two years. Because many surgeries are done laparoscopically—using only tiny incisions—mortality is vanishingly low, and many patients go home after two or three days; full recovery usually takes four to six weeks. In the long term, complications such as hernias, gallstones, and low blood sugar can develop.
But there’s a reason bariatric surgery has not led to a weight-loss revolution of the kind that now gets associated with semaglutide. Despite its dramatic effects, and obesity’s prevalence across America, only 1 percent of people eligible for surgery actually get it. People hesitate for many reasons, medical and otherwise, but the most pervasive issue is a lack of awareness that surgery is even a safe or realistic option for weight loss. Bariatric surgery is plagued by stigma even within the medical community: In the 1990s, it was dismissed as a “barbaric” way to address an issue that, many believed, could be treated with diet and exercise. “There are a lot of primary-care doctors who are not talking enough about surgery” because they were trained with that old mindset, Levy said. It doesn’t help that bariatric surgery hasn’t exactly been a media sensation, with few high-profile patient advocates beyond Al Roker and Mariah Carey. In contrast, stories of celebrities on weight-loss drugs abound. Unlike surgery, semaglutide has the potential to be taken recreationally.
The advantages that surgery has over weight-loss drugs may change as the drugs become more potent and eventually cheaper. But for now, semaglutide won’t dramatically shift the way obesity is treated, doctors told me—in fact, these new drugs may act as a conduit to surgery itself. Levy predicts that their sheer popularity will trigger a brief dip in the bariatric-surgery rate, but as price remains an issue, and people with obesity are unable to reach their weight-loss goals on the drugs alone, “they may start opening their mind to surgery.”
Certainly, in some patients, weight-loss drugs alone could lead to lasting weight loss. And they can benefit those who are overweight but don’t qualify for surgery. But more widely, these drugs will likely be used in tandem with bariatric surgery to produce more dramatic, longer-lasting results, experts told me. “I don’t see this as an either/or,” Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity-medicine physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, told me. “I see it as surgery plus medicine.”
Drugs can help fill in any gaps that surgery leaves behind. Weight can rebound after a procedure, because the body has a way of rebalancing itself; hormones that were tamped down due to bariatric surgery, Stanford said, can “start to reemerge with a vengeance.” About a fifth of people, and perhaps even more, regain a significant amount of weight—15 percent or more—two to five years after surgery. All of the doctors I spoke with said that medication could be a powerful tool to prevent post-surgery weight rebounds—though to keep that weight off, the medication would still have to be taken in perpetuity. Stanford estimated that more than 90 percent of her patients are on weight-loss drugs after surgery—and not necessarily semaglutide; older medications often suffice. Drugs could also be used to help people prepare for surgery, Lofton said. Some doctors encourage patients to lose weight beforehand to decrease the risk of complications such as blood clots, heart attack, and infection.
Despite the hype, weight-loss drugs were never a perfect treatment for obesity. Neither is bariatric surgery, for that matter. “It is not a cure,” Lofton told me. A cure, she explained, would ensure that hunger doesn’t return and that fat cells don’t get bigger, a hallmark of obesity: “We have nothing that does that”—not even more potent next-gen drugs will provide a permanent fix. But the effect of combining surgery and medication could come close, she said.
That no cure for obesity exists is evidence of its complexity. All of the experts I spoke with pointed out that obesity has long been misunderstood as a failure of personal will, as laziness or gluttony. That misunderstanding has led to inadequate care: Many people who regain weight after a bariatric procedure are made to feel by their doctors like they “wasted the surgery,” even if human biology is to blame, Stanford said. Ozempic and other weight-loss medications frame obesity as a condition that can be treated with drugs—in other words, a disease. Patients on those medications may realize, “Hey, maybe it’s not just me being lazy this whole time—maybe there is science to it and an actual disease here,” said Levy. Collectively understanding obesity as an illness that exists alongside heart disease and cancer—diseases routinely treated with medication and surgery—instead of as a matter of personal inadequacy will have far more profound impacts on people with obesity than any drug alone.
No matter what your scale says, being comfortable in your own skin is up to you. It can be tough, in a society that prizes unrealistic images. But it’s possible, and it starts with what you say when you look in the mirror.
One of the first rules of achieving a healthy and happy body image is to stop allowing “put-downs” in front of the mirror, says Lori Osachy, body image expert and lead therapist at The Body Image Counseling Center in Jacksonville, Fla.
“Even if in the beginning that means you have to jump in front of the mirror and shout, ‘You’re awesome,’ and then immediately jump back out, that’s OK,” she says. “The goal is to retrain your brain how to think positively about your reflection and your body.”
Over time, telling yourself that you’re beautiful, even if you don’t believe it at first, will improve your confidence, she says. The psychology behind this technique is called “cognitive behavioral therapy,” a method that psychologists and therapists use to stop negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones instead.
Robyn Silverman, PhD, body image expert and author, agrees that “faking” confidence will eventually turn bad body thoughts into good ones, though it takes time.
To speed up the process, Silverman suggests posting notes with positive messages on your mirror to remind yourself of your good qualities. Those notes don’t always have to be about your looks. Jotting down things about your character will help you develop a more positive attitude toward your reflection.
Be Your Own Body Image Advocate
You would never tell your friend she looks fat in a bathing suit, or tell your coworker his arms are scrawny, so why would you tell yourself that?
“Treat yourself as you would treat others, and you’ll find negative thoughts will lessen over time,” says Leslie Goldman, MPH, body image expert and author of Locker Room Diaries.
Ditch the things in your life that make you feel inferior, whether that is body-bashing friends, fashion magazines with supermodels, or TV shows that portray men and women in an unrealistic, sexist way, Silverman says. If a family member or roommate makes you feel bad about the way you look, talk to them directly and establish a “fat-talk-free policy,” she says.
If an advertisement or TV commercial makes you feel bad about yourself, examine it closer and look for the ways it’s trying to sell you something. “Remember, if we didn’t feel inferior to the models in the ads, we wouldn’t want to buy the product,” Silverman says.
Look Beyond the Scale
All too often, people get hung up on the number on the scale, rather than paying attention to how they feel, Silverman says. People of all sizes do that, and it doesn’t help.
Instead of focusing on one number — your weight — pay attention to how you feel when you wake up or after you hurry to catch the bus. Also check on all your other numbers, such as blood sugar, cholesterol, and blood pressure. Those may paint a better picture of your health than just your weight alone.
If you’re trying to lose weight, Silverman suggests swapping weight-loss oriented goals with fitness goals like keeping your cholesterol level down or training for your first 5K.
“Instead of running away from your old body on the treadmill or the StairMaster, work toward a goal that makes you feel accomplished,” she says.
Choose an exercise you love, and you’ll be more likely to stick with it, Osachy says. When you exercise for stress relief and fun, your weight and health may naturally start to fall into place, she says.
As an added bonus, doing something you love will make you see your body in a different light, Silverman says. For instance, instead of loathing your thighs, you’ll appreciate them because they enable you to do the things that you love, whether that is yoga or cycling.
Cut Yourself Some Slack
Forget perfection or rigid rules. It’s OK to splurge once in a while even if you’re trying to lose weight, Goldman says. Not letting yourself have a little cake at a party may make you more likely to overindulge later.
Focus on the bigger picture and praise yourself for the healthy choices you make, rather than the times you think you’ve “failed,” Silverman says.
Don’t label any food as “bad” or “good.” You’ll only feel worse about yourself and your body if you eat something that isn’t your definition of perfect, Goldman says.
Don’t Compare Yourself to Others
“Healthy comes in all shapes and sizes,” Goldman says.
Never resort to unhealthy measures, such as not eating or taking potentially dangerous supplements, to fit society’s idea of what looks healthy, Silverman says.
If you’re physically fit, and everything checks out with your doctor, you may want to redefine your weight-loss goals altogether. If negative thoughts about your body become overwhelming, or if you are finding it hard to give up perfectionistic habits about food, weight, or exercise, talk to your doctor or a counselor or therapist.
