{"id":27,"date":"2026-05-14T14:06:07","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T14:06:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=27"},"modified":"2026-05-14T14:06:07","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T14:06:07","slug":"healthier-hawaii-what-to-know-about-glp-1-weight-loss-medications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=27","title":{"rendered":"Healthier Hawaii: What to know about GLP-1 weight loss medications"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<section>\n<p>HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) &#8211; GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy are growing in popularity for weight loss. <\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=25\">Honokaa captures first State baseball title in school history<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Nearly 42% of adults in the U.S. are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention \u2014 more than 100 million Americans.<\/p>\n<p>With that, there\u2019s a growing trend of GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy.<\/p>\n<p>Dr. Marti Taba, Hawai\u2018i Pacific Health\u2019s chief of Family Medicine for Kailua and Kaneohe, says the medications can help many patients \u2014 but they should be approached as part of a broader plan to improve health.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<h3>GLP-1s are a tool \u2014 not the only answer<\/h3>\n<p>Taba said GLP-1 medications are one tool for weight loss, and they aren\u2019t the right fit for every person.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese medications are fairly new, so 30-year data is not available yet,\u201d she said. \u201cBut the GLP-1 data so far is promising.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>She emphasized that obesity can have serious long-term impacts.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat we do know is obesity is dangerous \u2014 especially long term \u2014 and can lead to several other health conditions, including some types of cancer,\u201d Taba said.<\/p>\n<p>Because each patient is different, she recommends talking through options with a medical provider.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cYou should really work with your doctor to figure out what works best for you,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<h3>If I take a GLP-1, will I automatically lose weight?<\/h3>\n<p>Not necessarily.<\/p>\n<p>Taba said GLP-1 medications can help people feel full faster and longer by slowing digestion, meaning food stays in the stomach longer.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cThese medications will help many patients lose weight,\u201d she said. \u201cBut without changing diet, they will plateau at some point.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>When weight loss stalls, patients sometimes move up in dosage, she said \u2014 but that can also increase side effects like nausea, vomiting and constipation.<\/p>\n<p>Taba said patients should treat GLP-1s as support \u2014 not a substitute for lifestyle changes.<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=23\">First Alert Forecast: Partly cloudy skies with trade showers today<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis is a tool to lose weight,\u201d she said. \u201cPatients still have to change their diet and habits \u2014 or it\u2019s actually possible to gain weight while on a GLP-1.\u201d<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<h3>What happens if you stop taking it?<\/h3>\n<p>Taba said it\u2019s possible for patients to regain weight after stopping the medication \u2014 and how much can depend on the changes they made while taking it.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s very possible that a patient will gain some of the weight back, but it really depends on how much they changed their diet and habits while they were on the medication,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p>Some people regain weight quickly, she said, while for others it happens more slowly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAgain, it really comes down to how a patient eats when they were on the GLP-1 as opposed to before they were on it,\u201d Taba said.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<h3>Who qualifies for GLP-1 medications?<\/h3>\n<p>Taba said insurance coverage requirements can vary, but typically involve BMI and health history.<\/p>\n<p>She said common criteria for coverage may include:<\/p>\n<p>However, Taba said coverage can differ even among people who have the same insurer.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>\u201cA lot of this depends on your health insurance plan, which can vary,\u201d she said. \u201cJust because you have the same health insurance provider as someone you know who\u2019s on a GLP-1, your plan may not cover the same medication.\u201d<\/p>\n<h3>Don\u2019t buy GLP-1 medications online without a prescription<\/h3>\n<p>Because of the medications\u2019 popularity, some people are seeking GLP-1s through online sources without a prescription.<\/p>\n<p>Taba said she has heard of people being hesitant to ask their physician and going elsewhere, but she urged patients to talk with their doctor instead.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur goal is to make our patients healthier,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<div><\/div>\n<p>She warned that outside sources can be expensive and may pose safety risks.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cGetting medication from outside sources may not only be expensive, but also risky from a safety standpoint,\u201d Taba said. \u201cThere\u2019s no shame in asking your doctor about these medications or other ways to help you lose weight.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/hawaiimovinginsider.com\/?p=21\">Healthier Hawaii: National Physical Fitness and Sports Month<\/a><\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nearly\u00a042% of adults in the U.S. are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention \u2014 more than\u00a0100 million Americans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":26,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sunrise"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.6 - 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