Weight loss drugs have changed how many Americans approach weight loss, including former U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Dr. David Kessler. However, Kessler is raising concerns about the long-term effects of these medications and the challenges of stopping their use.
“There is no end game,” Kessler said during an appearance on CBS Mornings Plus on Tuesday. He added that the FDA approved these medications without a clear long-term plan for their use.
Kessler, who struggled with unexpected weight gain while leading Operation Warp Speed, the U.S. coronavirus vaccination program during the pandemic, found himself working long hours at a computer. “I turned around and found that I was 40, 50 pounds heavier,” he said. He initially tried to lose weight using traditional methods, like dieting, but the progress was slow.
After experiencing a kidney stone, Kessler saw an endocrinologist who suggested he try the new GLP-1 weight loss drugs. At the time, Kessler was researching the medications and decided to try them. “It’s a real journey,” he said. “You can reclaim your health, but there are no such things as miracle pills.” Kessler discusses his experience and the weight loss drug trend in his new book, Diet, Drugs and Dopamine: The New Science of Achieving a Healthy Weight.
While the drugs have helped people lose weight, Kessler explained they should be seen as just one part of a bigger health picture. “Belly fat has a causal effect on health issues like heart disease and kidney disease,” he said. “But it’s just one tool in a larger journey.”
GLP-1 drugs work by conditioning the brain to desire less food. “They take you to the edge of nausea. Food just stays in your stomach longer… and when food stays in your stomach longer, you’re not going to want to put more food in your stomach,” Kessler said. However, if you stop taking the drugs, “that’s going to fade,” and the weight loss may not be permanent, he warned.
Kessler also pointed out that drug companies are hoping people will stay on these medications for life. “The premise of the drug companies… they want you to be on this for life,” he said.
Currently, there is no data on how to safely stop or restart the medications. “The FDA’s going to have to require that data,” Kessler noted, adding, “We’re just running a national experiment because we don’t have the data.”
In the long run, Kessler emphasized the importance of other tools, like better eating habits and physical activity, for lasting weight loss. He stressed that proper care is key. “You have to have a doctor, a nutritionist, a dietitian,” he said. “Not everyone can afford that. That really concerns me.”
