Emerging Obesity Medications
Emerging obesity medications (EOMs) such as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists quiet “food noise”—the persistent, intrusive thoughts about food that have historically made it difficult for many people to follow dietary guidance, creating an unprecedented opportunity to help patients adopt healthier, more plant-forward dietary patterns.
Success should be measured not only by weight lost on these medications, but by the durable, value-aligned dietary habits that persist beyond it. Because reductions in food noise are often greatest during the first weeks of medication use, early nutrition counseling provides the optimal opportunity to help patients establish sustainable dietary habits.
In practice, this may include encouraging patients to work toward a 1:1 plant-to-animal protein ratio. Soy foods such as edamame, tofu, soymilk, tempeh, and soy protein snacks (bars, beverages, and more) can serve as a practical, versatile source of high-quality plant protein to help achieve that goal while supporting overall protein intake.
A new perspective published in Advances in Nutrition outlines several mechanisms that may help explain why EOMs could facilitate a shift toward plant-forward eating patterns:
- Selective reduction in “wanting”: EOMs decrease cravings for high-fat and high-sugar foods while largely preserving motivation for fruits, vegetables and other plant foods.
- Late-meal preference shifts: As satiety increases, patients may favor lighter, lower-fat foods over richer, more energy-dense options.
- Preference-intake dissociation: Patients report eating fewer less-healthful foods even though they continue to enjoy them, suggesting behavior change without corresponding changes in food preferences.
- Freed cognitive bandwidth: With fewer intrusive thoughts about food, patients may be able to better make food choices based on longer-term motivations such as health, sustainability, and personal values instead of immediate cravings.
Are soy foods a good dietary choice for those on emerging obesity medications like GLP-1 receptor agonists?
Soy foods such as edamame, tofu, soymilk, tempeh, and soy protein snacks (bars, beverages, and more) can serve as a practical, versatile source of high-quality plant protein to help achieve that goal while supporting overall protein intake. Soy protein is a complete protein, providing all essential amino acids in amounts needed by the body, and has been extensively studied for its role in supporting healthy dietary patterns.
Resources:
How Emerging Obesity Medications Create an Opportunity for Plant-Forward Dietary Patterns – View PDF
This fact sheet explores how emerging obesity medications (EOMs) like glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists quiet “food noise” and can create a transient “pharmacological window” in which patients can adopt plant-forward eating patterns with less friction than ever before.
Patient Counseling Toolkit: Plant-Forward Eating During GLP-1/Emerging Obesity Medications Therapy – View PDF
Utilize this counseling aid to guide conversations about soy and plant-based diets with patients on emerging obesity medications.
Beyond the Scale: GLP-1 Medications and the Role of Soy in Weight Maintenance – View PDF
Soy foods can be incorporated into one’s weight maintenance diet in a variety of ways. Learn more in this patient handout.
This peer-reviewed publication from Advances in Nutrition synthesizes observational and experimental evidence to describe the convergent effects of emerging obesity medications on ad libitum intake, selective reductions in wanting for high-fat/high-sugar foods with relative sparing for fruits and vegetables, and late-meal shifts that further favor plant-forward choices.
In this issue of The Soy Connection newsletter, experts examine current GLP-1 RA research and share insightful weight maintenance nutrition strategies to support patients and clients in sustaining their progress.
This page is supported by SNI Global and U.S. Soy.
