Simple Online Pharmacy 2024 GLP-1 Weight Loss Survey - Physical and Mental Impacts
Physical Health Improvements Noticed by Respondents
To track health improvements as patients lost weight, they were asked to answer questions around;
- general health improvements
- improvements in specific obesity related conditions
- change, if any in the quantity of medication the patient took for other conditions
- mental health
It should be noted that this survey does not meet the conditions for a medical study. Whilst the overall responses have been reviewed by our clinical team, we cannot validate that each individual response that a patient submitted was correct and accurate. This survey is therefore purely a representation of patient opinion and observations on their own health.
General Health Improvements
Patients were asked “Have you noticed an improvement in your health”, and to select all that applied.
Patients with a BMI of 35 or more selected Mobility as the biggest improvement area, with the proportion noticing an improvement increasing significantly in the higher BMI bracket (40+), with 63% selecting this. Many patients find that, as they lose weight, their mobility improves, and in turn they can be more active and lose more weight.
Patients were also asked “Have you noticed an improvement in any other medical conditions you may have?” The results show a number of improvements; 27% of respondents said they noticed a drop in their blood pressure, while others noticed a reduction in cholesterol, symptoms of pre-diabetes and PCOS. All of these conditions have been shown to have a strong correlation with higher BMI, so we would expect to see these improvements.
These quotes from the survey exemplify a few of these improvements;
- “I have rosacea and my skin has improved as my diet has improved”
- “Epilepsy side effects”
- “I used to use an inhaler every day since my weight loss I barely use my inhaler now”
- “Reduced meds for hypertension & diabetes”
21% of patients agreed that they needed less medication for other conditions as a result of losing weight. When asked for more details on what medication they were using less of, common answers were:
- Asthma medication
- Pain medication (for nerve pain or join pain)
- Anti-depressants
- Acne medication
- Fibromyalgia medication
- Acid reflux medication
- Arthritis medication
- Blood pressure medications
- HRT medication
- Thyroid medication (lower dose)
- Cholesterol medication
Across these questions, patients in the category of having a BMI upwards of 35 had notably higher responses to health improvements than those with a lower BMI. This tracks with research suggesting that, at higher BMI, even small amounts of weight loss can have positive effects on your health.
Mental Health Improvements
We asked patients the extent to which they agreed with the statement “My overall mood / confidence level / emotional wellbeing has improved since losing weight”.
- 81% agreed
- 51% strongly agreed
- 29% said their mental health had improved as a direct result of losing weight.
When asked to choose specifically what improvements to their mental wellbeing they had noticed, the survey group chose the following;
Only 7% said that they didn’t see any improvement. 51% stated that they felt their mood had improved, and 46% were more optimistic and hopeful - showing a strong link between mental health and obesity.
We asked patients if other people had noticed a positive difference in their mental wellbeing since losing weight. 66% agreed, while 31% strongly agreed.