GLP-1 Medications and Eating Disorders: A Therapist’s Perspective on the Benefits and RisksBy [Your Name], Licensed Eating Disorder Therapist

Understanding the Promise

GLP-1 receptor agonists—such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro—were originally developed to manage type 2 diabetes, but their use has rapidly expanded due to their ability to suppress appetite and promote weight loss. As an eating disorder therapist, I see both the potential and the pitfalls of these medications when used by individuals struggling with disordered eating.

GLP-1s mimic a hormone that helps regulate insulin and hunger, leading to reduced food intake and, often, significant weight loss. For individuals living with obesity and related health conditions, this can be life-changing. Even for those with Binge Eating Disorder (BED), these medications might offer a form of physical relief—helping to diminish overwhelming hunger cues and compulsive eating urges. Some of my clients have reported feeling more in control when using GLP-1s, saying it gives them space to reflect on their emotions without being constantly driven by appetite.

When used as part of a comprehensive treatment plan—including medical oversight, nutrition counseling, and psychotherapy—GLP-1 medications may act as a bridge toward healing. For some, it creates enough breathing room to begin exploring the emotional roots of their eating behaviors without being overwhelmed by the physiological urge to binge.

Psychological and Social Risks

Despite these promising effects, the risks cannot be overstated—especially in the context of restrictive eating disorders or in those with a history of body image struggles. I have seen clients in early recovery relapse after starting GLP-1s, driven not by medical necessity, but by the appeal of weight loss. Appetite suppression, while medically beneficial for some, can be deeply triggering for those who have equated hunger with moral success or self-discipline.

The cultural narrative surrounding GLP-1s is problematic. Social media often praises these medications as miracle solutions for weight loss, and this messaging reinforces dangerous beliefs that eating less is always good and that thinness is inherently healthier. In therapeutic work, we try to help clients reconnect with their body’s needs, build self-compassion, and reject the harmful diet culture that often contributes to disordered eating. GLP-1s, when misused or uncritically prescribed, can undermine this healing process.

Even clients without current eating disorder symptoms are not immune. A past history of restriction, obsession with food, or weight-based self-worth can resurface quickly when appetite disappears and numbers on the scale begin to drop. The mental health risks are subtle but serious—feelings of accomplishment tied to weight loss, avoidance of emotional eating without addressing the underlying emotions, and a potential loss of body trust.

Collaborative Care and Caution

Eating disorder therapists, physicians, dietitians, and psychiatrists must work in concert when a client with a current or past eating disorder is considering—or already using—a GLP-1 medication. No decision should be made in isolation. Clients deserve a full understanding of both the physiological effects and the emotional risks involved.

Therapists have a key role in helping clients explore the “why” behind their interest in these medications. Is it about health markers, or is it about control, fear, and self-worth? These nuanced questions matter. Recovery is not just about eating “normally”—it’s about healing the relationship to food, body, and self.

In select cases, with strong supports in place, GLP-1s can be safely incorporated into a recovery journey. But in many others, the risk of slipping into old patterns—especially when appetite is blunted and praise for weight loss increases—is too great. This is not a decision to take lightly.

Ultimately, the goal in eating disorder recovery is not thinness, but freedom. Freedom from obsessive thoughts about food and weight. Freedom to nourish the body without guilt. Freedom to trust internal cues again. GLP-1 medications are a tool—but like any tool, they can heal or harm depending on how, why, and when they are used.