GLP-1 receptor agonists, like Wegovy and Ozempic, have taken center stage in obesity and diabetes treatment, praised for their ability to curb appetite, reduce “food noise,” and slow digestion for dramatic weight loss results. While these medications play a strong role in chronic disease management, they’re no replacement for healthy nutrition. 

Food itself is one of the best therapeutic tools for long-term health — and it’s certainly less expensive than GLP-1 therapies. In fact, a recent study reveals that nationwide use of Medically Tailored Meals (MTMs) for patients with diet-sensitive conditions, like obesity and diabetes, could prevent around 1.6 million hospitalizations and save $13.6 billion every year.

It’s time we stop treating nutrition like a side dish in healthcare. If we truly want to optimize population metabolic health, we need to integrate more ‘Food as Medicine’ approaches with pharmacotherapy for better obesity and diabetes outcomes — and cost savings.

GLP-1s may trigger rapid weight loss, but not without risks

GLP-1s help reduce caloric intake and encourage steady weight loss by slowing gastric emptying and enhancing the body’s feeling of fullness. While weight loss is the goal, rapid weight loss — especially without adequate dietary adjustments — can lead to muscle loss, which slows metabolism and affects long-term health. Preserving lean muscle mass is crucial and requires a focus on high-quality protein and resistance training. 

Rapid weight loss can also cause micronutrient deficiencies and raise the risk of malnutrition. Smaller meals, reduced variety, and side effects from GLP-1s can lead to shortages in essential vitamins and minerals like calcium, magnesium, B12, and iron — raising risks of anemia, osteoporosis, and other health issues.

Prescribing these potent drugs without accompanying dietary support is a recipe for disaster.

A blueprint for successfully integrating food and GLP-1 therapy 

Personalized nutritional support is crucial for helping patients avoid muscle loss and nutrient deficiencies. These patients need more guidance in planning meals around functional foods — rich in protein, fiber, and vitamins — to meet their nutritional needs.

To fully integrate Food as Medicine into chronic care, we need to focus on prevention, companion therapy, and post-medication strategies:

1. Prevention – Medically Tailored Meals (MTMs) and Groceries (MTGs) offer nutrient-dense, heart-healthy options for conditions like prediabetes and heart disease. Combining these with Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT) and personalized plans could transform preventive care. Regular screenings, lifestyle counseling, and dietitian partnerships must become part of standard care to make this work.
2. Companion therapy – Registered dietitians can work with physicians prescribing GLP-1s to create nutrition plans that address muscle preservation, micronutrient intake, and gut health. Higher protein diets, functional foods like prebiotics and probiotics, and medically tailored meal replacements can complement GLP-1 therapy and improve outcomes. Taking advantage of diminished food noise when on GLP-1s, dietitians can help patients focus on mindful eating choosing foods to fuel their body rather than their emotions. Collaboration between dietitians, physicians, and pharmacists is essential.
3. Post-medication strategy – After GLP-1 therapy, Food as Medicine is critical to maintaining health. Research shows that many individuals experience a reversal in weight loss and other health markers (like fasting blood sugar levels, cholesterol, blood pressure, and more) when coming off anti-obesity medications. Prescriptive nutrition plans, coupled with medically tailored meals, can help sustain the positive outcomes achieved during therapy.

Driving innovation and collaboration in the Food as Medicine movement

There’s a lot of potential for creative collaboration. Healthcare providers and dietitians can partner with major food retailers like Kroger or Walmart to offer MTGs, with stores featuring dedicated sections for these products. “Food prescriptions” could be fulfilled through local or online grocers, blending convenience with clinical nutrition.

Food companies could team up with health systems to provide medically tailored meal services for chronic conditions. For example, a diabetes management meal plan delivered via a service like Hello Fresh, combined with nutrition education, could create lasting health impacts.

Digital health platforms are another avenue for innovation. As employers increasingly adopt digital health solutions for chronic disease management, FAM interventions can be seamlessly integrated, allowing companies to track engagement and health outcomes, demonstrating cost savings and better health for employees. According to this study, providing medically tailored meals increases dietary adherence above 90% and allows patients to realize significantly better chronic disease control. Dietitian-led obesity solutions present an opportunity to scale medically tailored meal support to whole populations.

Medically Tailored Meals could be a game-changer for underserved, food-insecure populations struggling with chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes and obesity. By partnering with social impact investors, public health agencies can make FAM programs a staple within Medicaid, Medicare, and SNAP, ensuring everyone has access to nutritious meals. Together, these collaborations can break down barriers to health equity and make healthy food accessible to all.

Building a future for sustainable health

Scaling the Food as Medicine movement requires cross-industry partnerships and creative solutions. By fostering collaboration between healthcare, technology, employers, insurers, and the food industry, we can make nutrition a core component of healthcare. Together, we can improve outcomes, drive innovation, and build a sustainable future where food truly is medicine.

Photo: vgajic, Getty Images

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