While out walking with a friend last week, she turned to me and literally said “Everyone I know is on a GLP-1.”

She was exaggerating, but not by much.

These medications (Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, Mounjaro, and others) are everywhere right now, and for good reason: they work.

But here’s the bone health downside almost nobody mentions.

Because they suppress appetite so effectively, many people on a GLP-1 aren’t getting enough protein and key nutrients to support their bones while they’re losing weight.

And when weight comes off quickly without enough protein behind it, some of what’s lost isn’t fat.

It’s muscle and bone.

Not what you want!

The takeaway isn’t to avoid these medications. It’s to make sure your nutrition, especially protein, keeps pace with your weight loss.  

GLP-1s aren’t the only medications quietly affecting bone health, though. 

Here are 5 more worth knowing about:

• Long-term steroids (like prednisone)
• Acid-reducing meds (PPIs) for heartburn/reflux
• SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), a common class of antidepressants
• Anti-seizure medications
• Certain breast cancer treatments and hormone blockers