GLP-1 Weight-Loss Drugs Blur the Line Between Obesity and Eating Disorder Care, Researchers Say

Obesity and eating disorders have traditionally been treated as separate areas of health care, but the rapid rise of appetite-suppressing GLP-1 medicines such as Ozempic and Mounjaro is increasingly bringing the two together, researchers at the University of Adelaide say. Their analysis, published in the Journal of Eating Disorders, argues that the growing use of these drugs is highlighting an underrecognized overlap between the two conditions.

Emerging preliminary evidence suggests GLP-1 medicines may reduce binge-eating behaviors in some people, while questions remain about whether their appetite-suppressing effects could pose risks for some people with eating disorders. “For too long we've treated obesity and eating disorders as though they're opposing health conditions, but they actually have more in common than many people realize,” said Gemma Sharp, a clinical psychologist and professor who is an international expert in eating disorders, body image and weight disorders.

Sharp said one of the biggest misconceptions in the field is picturing someone with an eating disorder as very thin. In fact, most people living with an eating disorder are not underweight, and many go undiagnosed because the focus is often on weight rather than on recognizing the eating disorder itself. In Australia, about one in three adults lives with obesity, while around 5% of Australians, roughly 1.1 million people, experience an eating disorder.

“The challenge isn't simply the medicines themselves — it's ensuring they're used as part of evidence-based, multidisciplinary care,” Sharp said. “The priority now is identifying which patients are most likely to benefit, which patients are at greatest risk of harm, and ensuring appropriate screening, monitoring and multidisciplinary care become part of routine prescribing.”

Sharp established the Consortium for Research in Eating Disorders (CoRe-ED), a first-of-its-kind international independent charity initiative that brings together researchers, clinicians, people with lived experience, advocates, and partners working in related fields such as obesity. “GLP-1 medicines are a perfect example of why CoRe-ED was established,” Sharp said. “Complex issues like this require us to bring different voices and disciplines to the same table, rather than approaching obesity and eating disorders in isolation.”