GLP-1s & eating disorders: a complicated relationship

What happens when GLP-1s interact with eating disorders? About 1 in 8 US adults are currently taking a GLP-1.

They’ve been described by a lot of people as a miracle drug – they treat high blood sugar and diabetes, and have also shown promise as a treatment for addiction and metabolic conditions like PMOS, formerly known as PCOS. And a lot of Americans are taking it for one reason: weight loss.

But for people with eating disorders, that weight loss could be dangerous. So even though GLP-1s are a miracle drug for many struggling with certain health conditions – what does it mean that they’re becoming incredibly available to everyone?

And how do we reckon with their place in a culture that prioritizes thinness… sometimes to the point of real danger to someone’s health? Brittany is joined by Dr.

Allegra Broft , a psychiatrist and an assistant professor at Columbia University Medical Center who specializes in eating disorders, and Hannah Seo , an independent journalist who wrote about GLP-1s and eating disorders for The Guardian . For more episodes about weight, body image, and culture, check out: Peptides & the pursuit of the "perfect" body The difference between losing weight & being "healthy" The strange politics of Pilates Support Public Media.

Join NPR Plus. Follow Brittany on Instagram: @bmluse For handpicked podcast recommendations every week, subscribe to NPR’s Pod Club newsletter at .

See pcm. for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences. NPR Privacy Policy