Should you take Ozempic? The 5 things you need to know before starting GLP-1 drugs | Dr Ania Jastreboff

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro are now everywhere. But what do they actually do beyond weight loss? And what do you need to know before starting them? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr Ania Jastreboff, a world-leading researcher at the forefront of GLP-1 treatments and writer of the New York Times bestselling book Enough: Your Health, Your Weight, and What It's Like To Be Free, co-authored with Oprah Winfrey. Dr Jastreboff explains everything you need to know about Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy and other GLP-1 medications for 2026. You’ll learn how GLP-1s may reduce the risk of heart disease, improve blood sugar control, and support conditions like sleep apnoea. We also explore why weight often returns after stopping, and what you need to know about Ozempic side effects and long-term use. If these drugs can change how your brain controls hunger, what does that mean for willpower, weight gain, and how we treat obesity long term? 🌱 Try our science-backed and tasty wholefood supplement Daily30 Get our brand-new app and Gut Health Test designed by world-leading gut health and nutrition scientists to build healthy eating habits 👉 Join ZOE Follow ZOE on Instagram. Timecodes 00:00 Intro 04:25 What these drugs are really treating 06:42 The hunger problem nobody could name 10:57 The diabetes side effect that changed everything 12:15 Why Ozempic isn’t just “more GLP-1” 15:51 Why Mounjaro works differently to Ozempic 17:56 The part everyone gets wrong 20:15 Can these drugs protect your heart? 21:25 The 94% diabetes finding 22:09 Why the weight can come back 23:50 Do you have to take them forever? 25:30 Can you trust pharma-funded trials? 27:46 The risk of microdosing GLP-1s 31:41 Are these drugs becoming surgery-level? 34:10 The health effects beyond weight loss 37:22 The side effects people should expect 40:15 Could stopping leave you worse off? 41:35 Who should actually take GLP-1 drugs? 43:40 The biggest mistake when starting treatment 46:28 What to eat when your appetite drops 50:03 Why these are not weight loss aids 51:52 Should healthy people take small doses? 53:14 The exercise rule people miss 54:24 What comes after Ozempic and Mounjaro? 📚Books by our ZOE Scientists The Food For Life Cookbook Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector Ferment by Prof. Tim Spector Good Mood Food (preorder) by Prof. Tim Spector Free resources from ZOE The Hormone Harmony Guide: Tuning Your Body’s Internal Orchestra Eating for Better Brain Health: Your brain-gut blueprint How to eat in 2026 - Discover ZOE’s 8 nutrition principles for long-term health Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition Gut Guide - For a Healthier Microbiome in Weeks Better Breakfast Guide Mentioned in today's episode Enough: Your Health, Your Weight, and What It's Like To Be Free by Dr Ania Jastreboff & Oprah Winfrey Retatrutide for Obesity, The New England Journal of Medicine (2023) Healthy Weight Loss Maintenance with Exercise, Liraglutide, or Both Combined, The New England Journal of Medicine (2021) Semaglutide and Cardiovascular Outcomes in Patients, The New England Journal of Medicine (2016) Tirzepatide for Obesity Treatment and Diabetes Prevention, The New England Journal of Medicine (2025) Tirzepatide for the Treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea and Obesity, The New England Journal of Medicine (2024) Have feedback or a topic you'd like us to cover? Let us know here. Episode transcripts are available here.