GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Use Common in People With Eating Disorders

TUESDAY, July 7, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RA) use is common people with eating disorders, according to a research letter published online June 24 in JAMA Psychiatry.

Nicholas C. Peiper, Ph.D., from the University of Louisville in Kentucky, and colleagues evaluated the prevalence of GLP-1 RA use and misuse in a sample of people with eating disorders. Analysis included 436 U.S. adults with eating disorders.

The researchers found that 140 individuals (32.1 percent) reported lifetime GLP-1 RA use and 96 (22.0 percent) reported current use. Lifetime misuse prevalence was 10.1 percent (44 individuals) and lifetime use of compounded products was 9.9 percent (43 individuals). The prevalence of lifetime GLP-1 RA use varied by eating disorder subtype and was highest for binge eating disorder and lowest for anorexia nervosa. Psychiatric and medical comorbidities were common, including anxiety (87.5 percent) and mood (70.8 percent) disorders. Nearly one-third of those reporting lifetime GLP-1 RA use had adverse events (32.1 percent), including nausea (65.7 percent), and diarrhea or constipation (56.4 percent). 

“People with eating disorders are a clinically diverse population who may be consuming GLP-1 RAs in contraindicated ways to maintain eating disorder psychopathology through rapid restriction and weight loss,” the authors write.

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