The Future of Diets: From Weight Loss to Nutrition, Thanks to GLP-1 Drugs

For as long as we can remember, dieting has been humanity’s awkward tango with food—three steps forward, two cheat days back. From eating grapefruit by the dozen to proclaiming kale chips as a snack revolution, our obsession with shrinking waistlines has been both fascinating and exhausting. But what if we could take weight loss off the table (pun intended) entirely? Thanks to the rise of GLP-1 drugs like semaglutide and liraglutide, we’re on the cusp of doing just that.

These drugs are shifting the focus from counting calories to counting nutrients. In other words, dieting is getting a much-needed rebrand. So grab your kale smoothie and settle in as we dive into why the diets of the future will be all about health, not weight. And don’t worry—we’ll keep this fun. After all, food is supposed to be enjoyable.

The GLP-1 Revolution: Shedding Pounds Without Shedding Tears

GLP-1 drugs mimic glucagon-like peptide-1, a hormone that tells your brain, "Hey, you're full; stop eating." It’s like having a friend at dinner who gently slaps your hand every time you reach for another breadstick. Clinical trials have shown that these medications can lead to an average weight loss of 15% or more, a feat most fad diets can only dream of achieving.

Why This Changes Everything

1. Goodbye, Diet Culture: With GLP-1 drugs doing the heavy lifting for weight management, the days of suffering through celery juice cleanses might finally be behind us.
2. Hello, Health Goals: People can start focusing on nutrition instead of staring longingly at someone else’s fries.
3. Medical Validation: It’s not you; it’s your biology. GLP-1 drugs reduce hunger and help people feel fuller faster—no willpower shaming required.

If this feels like the dieting equivalent of inventing the wheel, it is. But this wheel rolls straight into a new frontier: nutrition.

Citation: Clinical trials on GLP-1 drugs have shown sustained weight loss for a majority of participants (Wilding et al., 2021).

From Weight Loss to Wellness: The New Role of Diets

Imagine a world where diets aren’t about punishing your body but fueling it. This shift doesn’t mean we’ll all suddenly start eating quinoa salads with reckless abandon—it means recognizing that food is more than just a number on a scale.

1. Nutrition Over Numbers

The new wave of diets prioritizes nutrient density. Instead of obsessing over how many carbs are in a bagel, we’ll care about how those carbs fuel our energy, brain function, and immune system.

• Gut Health Heroes: Say hello to fermented foods like kimchi and yogurt.
• Brain Boosters: Omega-3-rich salmon and walnuts are here to make you smarter (or at least more functional before your coffee).
• Immune Support Squad: Citrus fruits, garlic, and spinach are basically your body’s bodyguards.

Fun Fact: Your brain is about 60% fat, so eating healthy fats can actually make you a better thinker. Finally, an excuse for avocado toast!

2. Functional Foods

Instead of dieting to fit into jeans from a decade ago, people will start eating with specific goals in mind:

• Performance Diets: Foods that fuel workouts and keep you going on marathon Netflix sessions.
• Longevity Diets: Think Mediterranean diet vibes—olive oil, nuts, and a glass of red wine (for antioxidants, of course).
• Condition-Targeted Eating: Anti-inflammatory diets for arthritis or low-glycemic diets for diabetes management.

It’s food as medicine but without the terrifying side effects that come at the end of pharmaceutical commercials.

Tech + Food = The Diet of Tomorrow

Let’s face it: we’re already living in the age of smart everything—phones, watches, even refrigerators. The next logical step? Using technology to make eating smarter, too.

• Biometric Tracking: Imagine a smartwatch that tells you when you’re low on magnesium and suggests snacking on almonds.
• AI Nutrition Coaches: Apps that analyze your meal choices and politely suggest adding a vegetable or two.
• Meal Kits for the Modern Era: Personalized, pre-portioned meals based on your DNA or gut microbiome.

If the idea of AI judging your pizza consumption feels invasive, remember that it’s only trying to help. Plus, it’ll never side-eye your second slice.

What Happens to Diet Culture?

For years, diet culture has been as relentless as a telemarketer, selling us impossible ideals and plenty of guilt. But with GLP-1 drugs making weight loss a medical issue instead of a personal failing, we might finally be able to exorcise the ghosts of diets past.

1. No More Food Shame: GLP-1 drugs take the blame off you and put it squarely on biology. Didn’t lose weight on your juice cleanse? That’s because juice cleanses are terrible, not because you’re weak.
2. Shifting Goals: The focus moves to health outcomes like better energy, clearer skin, and reduced risk of chronic disease.
3. Diverse Definitions of Health: Turns out your value isn’t tied to your ability to fit into skinny jeans. Who knew?

But let’s not get too smug—diet culture is like a cockroach. Just because you think you’ve squashed it doesn’t mean it won’t find a new way to thrive. Be wary of buzzwords like "clean eating" or "biohacking;" they’re often just rebranded food guilt.

Challenges to Consider

Before we declare victory over bad diets, there are a few hurdles to clear:

• Access to GLP-1 Drugs: These medications are expensive and often not covered by insurance. If they’re going to revolutionize health, they need to be affordable for everyone.
• Nutritional Education: We’ll need to teach people how to nourish their bodies without falling into new fads.
• Avoiding Over-Medicalization: Weight loss drugs are a tool, not a replacement for a balanced lifestyle. Don’t toss your running shoes just yet.

Citation: "Cost and insurance coverage are significant barriers to GLP-1 access for many patients" (Drucker, 2022).

How to Embrace the New Era of Diets Today

Ready to ditch the old diet mentality and embrace the future? Here’s how you can get started:

• Add More Colors to Your Plate: No, not M&Ms—fruits and veggies. The more variety, the better.
• Think About Food as Fuel: Skip the crash diets and focus on eating foods that energize you.
• Experiment with Recipes: The future of eating should be fun, not a chore. Try new cuisines, flavors, and textures.
• Celebrate Small Wins: Did you swap your afternoon candy bar for an apple today? That’s a win worth celebrating.

Conclusion: Diets Are Dead (Long Live Diets!)

Thanks to GLP-1 drugs, we’re witnessing the dawn of a new era. The diets of tomorrow aren’t about deprivation—they’re about abundance. They’ll prioritize what food can do for us, from boosting our mood to supporting long-term health.

This isn’t just a trend; it’s a revolution. And with the right tools, education, and maybe a little humor, we can finally stop fighting food and start embracing it. So let’s raise a glass (of antioxidant-rich red wine) to the end of diets as we know them. Cheers to a healthier, happier future!

>> Dr. Terry Simpson: M Today we're talking about a revolution, a medical

revolution, a dietary revolution,

and maybe even a pan sized revolution.

We're diving deep into the world of GLP1

medications. Those little wonder drugs like

Ozempic and Zepp found that are flipping the

script about how Americans think about food

diets and most importantly, what

it means to be healthy. Spoiler alert,

we're finally talking about nutrition

instead of weight loss. And, um, honestly, it's about time.

So grab a fork, maybe a protein

shake, and let's get started.

I am your chief medical explanationist. Making sense of the

madness, Dr. Terry Simpson. And this

is for Q Pork University, where

we make sense of the madness, bust a few myths.

We dish out food facts, serve up science, and garnish

it with just a generous sprinkle of

humor.

Let's start with the basics. GLP1

medications stand for glucagon,

like peptide 1. I know

it sounds like something out of your high school biology teacher would mumble before

handing the pop quiz that you never read before, but here's the

fun part. GLP1 is a hormone your body

naturally produces, and it plays a big role in

regulating blood sugar and appetite.

Pharmaceutical companies, being the little clever alchemists

they are, figured out how to make synthetic versions

of this hormone. In Biola, GLP Mudden

medications were born. Originally, these drugs were designed to help

people with type 2 diabetes because it helps them

manage their blood sugar. But then the research

noticed that the people taking GLP1s were

losing weight. And not a little weight, but a lot of

weight, like I need a new wardrobe kind of

weight. That then began

the look at these medications just

for weight loss without diabetes. Fast

forward to today. And GLP1 drugs like

Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are being prescribed for weight loss

in people with obesity. And let me tell you, these

medications are changing the game faster than your grandma

can bake cookies. You know the

story. For decades,

diets in America were all about

one thing. The number on the scale.

Losing weight. Fit into your old jeans or your old

wedding dress. Be bikini ready by June. You

know the kind of slogan that make you roll your eyes so hard you can see

your brain cells quitting their jobs.

But GLP1 medications have sparked a

shift, and a big one. Instead of

focusing solely on weight loss, people

are starting to look at food differently. It's not

just about shrinking your waistline anymore.

It's about nourishing your body and feeling good. Here's

why. First, there's appetite

regulations. As you know from previously On the

podcast GLP1 meds help control hunger and

reduce cravings. Suddenly, that pint

of ice cream in your freezer isn't talking to you

anymore. They do offer better blood sugar

control. And when your blood sugar is steady, you're less likely to have

those hangry episodes.

And with the GLP1s doing that heavy

lifting, getting rid of that food

noise and making you feel full quicker and

longer, people are starting to focus on what

they need to eat, not just how much they need to eat.

And nutrition is finally stepping into

the spotlight. It's like someone just handed

America a pair of glasses and we're finally seeing food for what it

should be. Fuel for your body, not just a

tool for weight management.

Let's talk about the diet industry for a minute. You know the

trillion dollar machine that gave us juice cleanses,

cabbage soup diets? Enough low carb

snack bars to build a very tasteless

sawdusty fort? Or the Carnivore diet,

its latest iteration of the most extreme

and potentially deadly diet out

there. For years, the diet industry

thrived on quick fixes and unsustainable

plans. Lose 10 pounds in 10 days.

What they didn't tell you was that you'd gain it all back as soon as

you smelled your first bit of homemade,

delicious bread. But more importantly,

GLP1 medications started to throw a, uh, wrench in

that model. Why? Because they work.

And not in a gimmicky short term way. You don't have

to count points. These drugs are helping people

lose weight and keep it off. And that's a nightmare for the

diet industry, which relies upon

repeat customer. More

importantly, GLP1s are

forcing people and companies to think beyond

weight loss. What if instead of cutting out

entire food groups, we focused on eating

more nutrient dense food? What if we start asking, is this

meal nourishing my body instead of how, um, many calories are

this? Or my God, I can't have that Reese's peanut butter

cup. It's like we finally realized that food

isn't the enemy, it's our ally. Unless we're talking about

deep fried butter on a stick, that's just

a betrayal. Now here's where it

gets really cool. At least for a nerd like

me. The shift from weight loss to nutrition

isn't just a feel good story. It's

backed by science. Nutrient

dense foods can boost your energy levels,

meaning you're not going to have that 3pm slump. Support

long term health. Lowering the risk of heart disease, diabetes,

reducing the risk of cancers, and improving mental

clarity, because nothing feels foggy like eating crappy

food. And here's the kicker. When you eat better, your body naturally

finds a, uh, happier weight. Not only your high school

weight, not only your Instagram influencer weight,

but your real happy weight, where you feel strong and

energized and ready to tackle life.

GLP1s are making it easier for people to focus on those

benefits by curbing overeating

cravings and stopping that

constant mental battle about food.

Suddenly eating a salad isn't a punishment. It isn't, oh, my God,

I have to eat kale again. It becomes a delicious

option. So what does this hold for the future

of diets in America? And are we finally done with fads and

gimmicks? Probably not. There's going to be a

huckster that's going to be out there selling you some weird

version of their diet no matter what.

But GLP1s are paving the

way for smarter, healthier eating. So here's

what I think we're going to see more of. We're going to

see more of, uh, Mediterranean diet coming into your life

because it's delicious and healthy. We're going to see

more of things like the Dash diet coming into your life because it actually

promotes reduction of high blood pressure

by as much as a single pill. We're going to

see less shame and more empowerment because

GLP1s are taking the stigma out of weight

loss. Now, there's still plenty of fat

shaming out there. There are still plenty of people out

there who are going to say this is the easy way.

But honestly, it's what we've been

waiting for.

Before we wrap it up, let me tackle a few

frequently asked questions about GLP1s. Number one,

GLP1s are cheating. Cheating?

Please. Using a tool to improve your

health isn't cheating. It's smart. If

these medications help you live a, uh, healthier, happier

life, why would you suffer?

It's a win. You

don't have to change your diet on GLP1s. Well,

technically, you could eat junk food and still lose some weight.

But why would you? GLP1s

work best in all of the studies when paired with a balanced, nutritious

diet like a Mediterranean or dash style diet?

Myth 3 GLP1s are for lazy

people. Oh, yeah, the old laziness argument. Listen, folks,

managing weight and health is hard. If these medications make

it a little easier, stop judging and start

supporting. And here's the final

thing. There's some people who get on the

GLP1 medications and many of

them don't have a lot of support or health around them

and they actually go on GLP1 medications and do a version of low

carb or do some other diet or try and

count points on Weight Watchers or get the Mayo Clinic

Diet. You don't need to do that. What we want

you to do is learn about healthy, nutritious

food. And as much as there are people out there saying you have to

focus on protein because otherwise you'll lose muscle

mass, well, you're going to lose some muscle

mass because you don't need as much muscle to carry around

100 less pounds or 40 less pounds or even 20 less

pounds. And number two, you're going to lose muscle mass

because some of the glycogen that you've been excess storing in your

muscles you're not going to need anymore. You do need

to maintain your protein, but you also need to

maintain fiber. All the micronutrients,

all the vitamins, all the minerals.

If you're like me, every day in your email

box you will get letters from

Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers,

Mayo Clinic Diet. And I probably get those because I always want to

see what these diets are that my patients have been on. So I'm

seeing a lot of them this time of year. What I'm really happy

about is that now we have something that can

actually work. Something that allows

you to get rid of the feeling of

constantly needing food and

instead begin to

enjoy food and learn about

food not for dieting, but food for

eating and maintaining your nutrition.

So the next time someone asks you what diet you're on, tell

them I'm on the take care of my body and enjoy

life plan. And if they look confused, send

them a copy of this podcast.

This is Forku with Dr. Terry Simpson. Thanks for listening.

Don't forget to subscribe, Leave a review, share the episode with

your favorite foodie friends and until next time, eat well. Be

well. Remember, the best diet

is the one that keeps you happy, healthy

and full of flavor. This podcast

was researched and written by me, Dr. Terry Simpson, and while

I am a physician, I am not your

physician. This is for entertainment and educational

purposes only. And if you're thinking about changing your

diet, please check with your physician and a

registered dietitian who know your health the best so

that they can help you garner what would be best for

you. Mediterranean and Dash are my two

favorites. Number two, please see a

board certified physician in Western medicine, not one of

these crazy chiropractors or health coaches or

bro science buddies. They've never helped you to begin

with. If you spend five hours a day in the gym looking at your

abs. Well, never mind.

Thanks to the people of Simpler Media for distributing the

podcast and my really good friend, Evo Terra, the

pod God. We look forward to seeing you

all. Have a good day, everybody. We'll see you

next time on, um. Fork you.

Hey, Evil, do you ever think the Dash Diet stood

for dashing to the bathroom because of all that fiber?

Yeah,

I guess you can take the boy out of Ketchikan,

but.