Originally developed to treat diabetes, GLP-1 medications soon made headlines for their impact on weight loss. But despite all the attention they've received, many people still have questions: How do these medications work? Are they safe? To get answers, we spoke with Dr. Holly Lofton, Director of the Medical Weight Management Program at NYU Langone. In this episode, Dr. Lofton explains the science behind GLP-1s, how they support weight loss and why adopting healthy lifestyle habits and working with your doctor are crucial to long-term success.

The Takeaway

Guest Bio

Holly F. Lofton, MD, is a Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine and Surgery at NYU Langone Health, where she has served as director of the Medical Weight Management Program since 2012. Here, she designed the popular New You program to help her patients obtain results while fostering nutrition education and placing emphasis on a healthy lifestyle. She is currently involved in clinical research pertaining to the pharmacotherapy to treat weight recurrence after bariatric surgery as well as clinical drug trials. In her faculty role, Dr. Lofton continues to educate students and other physicians about diagnosing and treating obesity. She also educates the general public about the importance of maintaining a healthy weight through lectures, workshops, and written, audio and video media. She has served on the board of the Obesity Action Coalition, the Bariatric Medicine committee for the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery, and the Obesity Medicine Fellowship Council.  In 2021, Dr. Lofton was also appointed as the Medical Director of the NFL Alumni Wellness Challenge, which aims to optimize health in former athletes.