Investigating the psychological and behavioural impact of taking, and discontinuing, weight loss injectables in people living with obesity
Twenty-six percent of the UK population are living with obesity, costing the NHS £6.5 billion annually. Glucagon-like Peptide-1 Receptor Agonists (GLP-1RAs) are weight loss injectables which promote weight loss through reducing appetite. They are increasingly available through the NHS and privately, with an estimated half a million people in the UK currently taking them. These drugs have shown promising weight loss results, however weight is often regained once medication is stopped. Little is known about the psychological and behavioural impact of taking, and then discontinuing, these drugs. The aim of this PhD is to understand the experience of taking a GLP-1RA to manage weight both during and after, to investigate how behaviour (diet and physical activity), relationships with food (e.g. emotional eating) and psychological well-being change from when taking GLP-1RAs to afterwards, and what predicts weight change and psychological well-being in these groups. I will recruit 350 people who are taking a GLP-1RA for weight management and ask them to complete a survey covering their demographics, use of GLP-1RA, behaviour, relationships with food and well-being using validated questionnaires. Three months after some participants subsequently report discontinuing GLP-1RA treatment they will be asked to complete a follow-up survey to examine changes in these variables. I will conduct in-depth interviews with 30 participants while they are taking the medication and 30 participants 6 months after discontinuation to explore qualitatively their experience of using, and stopping, GLP-1RA treatment. The results will inform policy makers, academics and healthcare professionals.