It’s important to help patients understand that GLP-1 medications are valuable tools within a comprehensive strategy that also involves lifestyle change, as this approach is key to achieving long-term weight loss success.

Pairing GLP-1 medications and lifestyle changes will optimize patient outcomes relative to weight loss, type 2 diabetes control and biomarkers. GLP-1 RA therapy presents several challenges, including gastrointestinal side effects, inadequate nutrition, loss of lean muscle mass and the potential for weight regain once the medication is discontinued.^1,2,3 It’s important to help patients understand that GLP-1 medications are valuable tools within a comprehensive strategy that also involves lifestyle changes, as this approach is key to achieving long-term weight loss success. Results of a recent study suggest that effective patient communication is important to set realistic expectations; understanding patient preferences and health needs is vital to the development of personalized dietary guidance.⁴

GLP-1s and Lifestyle Changes

A recent study conducted in-depth interviews with health care professionals to gather their views on GLP-1 medications. The interviews followed a semi-structured format, with a focus on topics related to nutrition, diet and lifestyle education.⁴ The study included health care professionals such as physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants (PAs), registered dietitians, nutritionists, or other relevant professionals who had at least one year of experience treating patients with GLP-1 medications for weight management. The final group of participants consisted of 13 registered dietitians and nutritionists.

Results indicated that an effective obesity treatment plan should take a comprehensive approach, emphasizing clear patient communication. Specifically, proactive management of GLP-1 medication side effects and ongoing lifestyle counseling are essential. A key theme that emerged was the importance of patient understanding and engagement. It is crucial to set realistic expectations and educate patients about GLP-1 medications, particularly by dispelling misconceptions that these drugs are a “magic pill” or a complete cure. Additionally, health care providers should clearly communicate that lifestyle changes are a necessary component of successful treatment.

The quality of education was also emphasized as key in enhancing patient outcomes. Helping patients identify quality resources that include visual tools to help patients understand portion size while also being able to meet recommended dietary allowance for protein and fiber.

Tailoring dietary recommendations for induvial lifestyles was also highlighted. For lifestyle changes to be effective, health care providers must understand their patients’ unique lifestyles, preferences and specific health needs to provide tailored and impactful dietary guidance. Effective patient communication is important for aligning expectations and developing personalized dietary guidance.

The registered dieticians and nutritionists in the study group also referenced the importance of encouraging patients to actively engage with modifying their behavior while taking a GLP-1. Strategies for active engagement included getting commitments from patients to become more active and to agree that they need to change their eating habits, while acknowledging that it’s the quality of the calories that is important. Additionally, it is important to explain to patients that GLP-1 medications are tools that support, rather than replace, necessary lifestyle changes.

Long-term sustainability emerged as another key element. Communicating with patients about building sustainable lifestyle changes that extend beyond their use of a GLP-1 was highlighted as an important part of patient care. Integrating a GLP-1 into a larger fabric of lifestyle modifications could help patients understand that their GLP-1 is a small part of a multi-faceted approach to sustainable weight loss. One dietician compared a GLP-1 to a teaching tool — like learning to ride a bike with training wheels. Early on you have support; however, over time that specific support goes away and you can succeed with the support of that tool.

Implications for Clinical Practice

In the early stages of prescribing a GLP-1 medication to patients, health care professionals should consider the importance of effective communication around the purpose of the GLP-1 therapy and how it fits into the broader treatment plan for patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes. A dietary intake assessment might be a good starting point when discussing dietary lifestyle changes. This will help patients understand what their dietary “baseline” is and how shifting toward healthier eating habits could be beneficial. GLP-1 adherence can be challenging for some patients, so building better eating habits could possibly offset early termination of the medication. Lifestyle changes may also mitigate the use of GLP-1s for weight loss maintenance. As noted above, effective patient communication is important for aligning expectations and developing personalized dietary guidance.

A crucial element in achieving lasting lifestyle change is setting clear parameters and daily goals. Health care providers can play a pivotal role in this process by collaborating with patients to create realistic, actionable and sustainable behavior change plans. As part of a comprehensive obesity treatment program, incorporating a Low Calorie Diet (LCD) or Very Low Calorie Diet (VLCD) from Robard Corporation could be highly beneficial. These programs offer proven patient education protocols and scientifically formulated meal replacements, ensuring that nutritional needs are met while supporting patients in their journey toward healthier, sustained habits. Another avenue to help support the nutritional goals of patients is by providing Biocare, a dietary beverage specifically designed for patients taking a GLP-1. Further, combining GLP-1s with quality meal replacements helps to ensure long-term success and safety for patients — and creates a business growth opportunity for practitioners.

Source(s):

1 Nutritional considerations with anti-obesity medications
2 Anti-diabetic drugs and sarcopenia: Emerging links, mechanistic insights, and clinical implications
3 Occurrence of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea reported as adverse events in clinical trials studying glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists: A systematic analysis of published clinical trials
4 Optimizing nutrition, diet, and lifestyle communication in GLP-1 medication therapy or weight management: A qualitative research study with registered dieticians

About the Author: Dr. Dawn M. Sweet has over 20 years of experience in the field of communication. Dr. Sweet has given several invited talks to and workshops for academic and private sector audiences on the role of nonverbal and verbal communication in achieving positive outcomes and mitigating bias. Her research has been published in several top ranked peer-review journals, and it has been featured on NPR’s River to River / All Things Considered, Buzzfeed, and Science Daily. Her research has also been used to inform expert testimony.

About Robard: Robard Corporation’s medical obesity treatment programs and scientifically-designed nutrition products are utilized by physicians, surgeons and hospitals across the United States to successfully treat patients living with obesity. To learn more about us and how we can help your practice and patients, visit us online at www.Robard.com, email us at info@robard.com, or call (800) 222-9201