Obesity

At a time when more than one billion people are living with obesity,GLP-1s are widely viewed as among the biggest advances in obesity treatment. But one important question is becoming harder to avoid: what happens when people stop taking them?

If you've had to decide when to start and end your daily fast for the best results, this new study may be of help. Researchers have found that as long as your fast occurs, long-term weight loss may have little to do with when you clock on and off.

A lengthy trial robbing adults of 90 minutes of sleep a night has uncovered the effect even this small amount of lost shut-eye has on the waistline after little more than a month. It also increased the risk factors for chronic disease.

China's eastern coastal region is associated with lower obesity, cardiovascular risk, and higher life expectancy. It's also where, for generations, market stalls selling fresh leafy greens, lotus seed pods, vegetables, tofu, and freshwater fish have shaped the diet of those living there.

A once-a-day oral GLP-1 pill known as CX11 has met its dosage and efficacy goals in a trial on US patients and will now advance to its first North American Phase 3 trial. It's already cleared this final hurdle in China where it awaits approval.

Scientists have identified a new way to supercharge obesity drug semaglutide by targeting key neurons. It could dramatically boost GLP-1 weight-loss power and prevent the dreaded plateaus that not even this "wonder drug" has been able to circumvent.

Prebiotic sodas are marketed as gut-friendly alternatives to sugary soft drinks. Now, a small study suggests one may also produce lower short-term glucose spikes than Coca-Cola, but the study comes with some noteworthy limitations.

New research shows that people with obesity host a distinct oral microbiome. The study turns our attention to the mouth as a signal of metabolic health in a shift that challenges long-held assumptions about where obesity-related biomarkers can be measured.

After a century of false starts, scientists believe they have found a way to make cells burn more energy without the dangerous side effects – and it could be a breakthrough that reshapes weight-loss and anti-aging medicine as we know it.

The sustainability of weight-loss drugs is under scrutiny as new research shows that people who stop taking GLP-1s regain the pounds and return to their original size after 1.7 years. It questions whether we're relying on this "magic cure" too heavily.

The rise in popularity of GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs like Ozempic is causing a wider societal shift that is now rocking the food industry. And some are feeling the pain more than others, as people make fundamental changes to their lives and health.

The next transformative phase of weight-loss medication is upon us, with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approving Novo Nordisk's highly anticipated oral GLP-1 drug – with a starting dose available in early January for US$149.