Health
This could be why your weight-loss medication isn’t delivering results
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The skyrocketing popularity of GLP-1 receptor agonists has transformed the weight-loss industry, but not all shots are created equal in terms of how they work.
A study published in Nature investigated how genes affect the success of modern weight-loss drugs — specifically, GLP-1s like semaglutide and tirzepatide.
In analyzing genetic data and self-reported weight loss from over 27,000 users, researchers pinpointed a specific variation in the GLP-1 receptor gene (GLP1R) that acts as a “booster” for the drug’s effectiveness.
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Individuals carrying one copy of this variant lost an average of 1.6 pounds more than those without it, according to the findings.
This suggests that genetic testing could eventually help doctors steer sensitive patients toward medications they are more likely to tolerate.
Individuals carrying one copy of a specific genetic variant lost an average of 1.6 pounds more than those without it. (iStock)
“We believe these reports are a step forward in meeting an unmet need for a more informed and personalized approach to weight management,” said study co-author Noura Abul-Husn, chief medical officer at the 23andMe Research Institute in California, in a press release.
While this genetic “boost” is measurable, it remains relatively modest when compared to the total average weight loss of 24 pounds observed across the study population, the researchers noted.
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Beyond genetics, other factors such as age, sex and specific medications remain much stronger predictors of success.
For instance, the study found that women generally saw a higher body mass index (BMI) reduction (12.2%) compared to men (10.0%).
Traditional factors such as age, sex and specific medications remain much stronger predictors of success. (iStock)
The study may also reveal why certain patients experience stomach issues. Scientists identified a different genetic variant that was linked to increased reports of nausea and vomiting.
The presence of this side effect did not impact the drug’s effectiveness, however. Patients with variants in the GLP1R and GIPR genes lost just as much weight as those without it; they simply felt more sick during the process, the study found.
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“GLP-1 treatment decisions are complex, and having access to clinical expertise to help contextualize your genetic results alongside your full health picture is exactly the kind of guidance this report is designed to support,” said Abul-Husn.
Patients with the variant lost just as much weight as those without it; they simply felt more sick during the process, the study found. (iStock)
Dr. Peter Balazs, MD, a hormone and weight-loss specialist serving the New York and New Jersey area, was not involved in the study but reiterated the role of the genetic variants in treatment response and side effects.
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“Notably, there appears to be a drug-specific effect: The GIPR variant associated with these side effects is observed with tirzepatide, but not with semaglutide,” he told Fox News Digital.
Balazs said he was surprised by the extremely wide nausea risk range (5%–78%). “Additionally, the drug-specific genetic dissociation was unexpected,” he added.
Study limitations
The data relied on participants reporting their own weight, which could be subject to bias.
“The data is self-reported and not medically verified, which may affect its reliability firstly,” Balazs told Fox News Digital. “It also does not account for key treatment variables, such as titration, discontinuation or dosing schedules.”
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The 23andMe participant pool may not reflect a diverse, real-world population, he added.
“The study also lacks data on important clinical endpoints, such as diabetes progression, and severe adverse effects, such as gastroparesis or pancreatitis,” Balazs pointed out. “Many of its findings also have not been supported by more clinically and statistically robust studies.”
Patients with the variant lost just as much weight as those without it; they simply felt more sick during the process, the study found. (iStock)
For example, a sub-study comparing these reports to objective iPhone health data suggested that participants might over-report their progress. While users reported an 11.8% loss, electronic data in that subset showed a 5.8% loss.
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As an observational study rather than a controlled clinical trial, it could not definitively prove that the genetic variants caused the difference in weight loss, only that they are associated with it, the researchers noted.
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“I think this article is interesting, raising the possibility of genetic factors, and the use of genetic testing incorporated into further decision-making when picking weight-loss medications,” Balazs said. “However, I would be careful to draw conclusions solely based on this study.”
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Eliminating sugar from your diet may seem like the key to healthy eating, but research suggests it could have unintended effects on digestive health.
A study presented at ENDO 2026, the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting, suggests that a total lack of sucrose, or table sugar, may harm gut health and disrupt the body’s natural metabolism.
To explore how the total absence of dietary sugar impacts the body, researchers at the Dasman Diabetes Institute in Kuwait City conducted a 16-week study on two groups of mice. Both groups were placed on a low-fat diet, but with one critical difference.
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One group consumed a low-fat diet that included a standard amount of sucrose, while the other group ate a low-fat diet that was completely sugar-free, according to the study’s press release.
Throughout the trial, the scientists monitored a wide variety of physiological factors, including the animals’ weight, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, hormone levels, internal inflammation and the specific composition of their gut bacteria.
A total lack of dietary sugar can cause imbalances in the gut bacteria and lead to signs of fatty liver disease, even without any weight gain, researchers said. (iStock)
The study outcome suggested that completely removing sugar caused several unexpected health problems.
“Completely removing sucrose from a low-fat diet may unexpectedly disrupt gut health and promote inflammation and metabolic dysfunction,” Rasheed Ahmad, principal scientist and head of the Immunology & Microbiology Department at the Dasman Diabetes Institute, said in the release.
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Even though the mice on the sugar-free diet did not gain any extra weight compared to the control group, their internal health indicators deteriorated.
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The animals that lacked sucrose developed an imbalance in their gut microbes and increased inflammation within the intestines and liver.
They also showed signs of poor glucose regulation, insulin resistance and cellular changes associated with fatty liver disease, according to the research.
Future dietary guidelines may shift away from strict, absolute sugar bans and instead focus on overall gut health through balanced nutrition. (iStock)
“The findings suggest that complete removal of sucrose from a low-fat diet may negatively affect gut microbiota and metabolic health,” Ahmad concluded.
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While the risks of high-sugar diets are well-established, the researchers noted that little attention has been given to the effects of completely eliminating sugar from low-fat meals.
Scientists say these new findings highlight that dietary carbohydrates play a valuable role in supporting balance between the immune system and the gut microbiome.
Completely cutting sucrose from a low-fat diet can unexpectedly trigger gut inflammation and disrupt the metabolism, experts say. (iStock)
Because this research was conducted on mice over a relatively short 16-week period, further clinical trials are necessary to determine whether a completely sugar-free diet causes the same gut and liver inflammation in humans.
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Additionally, the study focused specifically on removing sucrose from low-fat meals, meaning the results might not apply to people eliminating sugar while following higher-fat or ketogenic eating plans, the researchers noted.
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The team believes that future dietary guidelines may shift away from strict, absolute sugar restrictions and instead place a greater emphasis on maintaining a diverse, healthy population of gut bacteria through balanced nutrition.
“In the long term, these findings could help improve strategies for preventing and managing metabolic disorders, fatty liver disease and chronic inflammatory conditions,” Ahmad said.
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A cure for cancer could be on the horizon in the next decade, according to experts.
During the WSJ Leadership Institute CEO Summit in London last week, Johnson & Johnson Chairman and CEO Joaquin Duato reflected on the pharmaceutical company’s projections on the future of cancer treatment.
In the next 10 years, the goal is to “try to eliminate cancer,” Duato shared.
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“That’s a high goal, and we are already making significant progress in certain cancers,” he said.
Duato used multiple myeloma as an example, noting that the life expectancy is currently 10 years, when it was previously “only single years.”
Joaquin Duato, chairman and CEO of Johnson and Johnson, speaks at the Punchbowl News Conference at Union Station on March 10, 2026, in Washington, DC. (Heather Diehl/Getty Images)
“We have treatments now that utilize your own immune system to attack the cancer,” he said at the summit. “For patients who were already going into hospice, so they didn’t have any other alternative, they are [at] more than five years, with a single administration, in remission. That [is] spectacular.”
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“When patients see that, they cannot believe that because they have been coming to the hospital every week [for] a decade, having multiple therapies.”
The goal is to “try to eliminate cancer” in the next 10 years, the pharmaceutical executive said. (iStock)
According to Duato, Johnson & Johnson is working to understand the biology of cancer growth and to formulate new technologies to address it.
“It’s realistic to believe that we are going to cure certain cancers, and some others we’re going to turn into chronic diseases,” he predicted.
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“Cancer is an important thing – I cannot think about anybody who has not been touched by cancer,” he went on. “But there are many other opportunities for us to actually advance science, to address very important social problems.”
Duato called out dementia as another “important problem” in need of a solution.
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He predicted that life expectancy, which has risen steadily over the past century, will continue to increase as longevity technologies and solutions advance, improving quality of life along the way.
Duato commented that J&J has been optimistic about the role artificial intelligence will play in the future of healthcare, calling it a “force multiplier.”
Biomarkers and AI can help with the earlier diagnosis of cancer, as well as a more advanced and personalized approach to surgery, a doctor noted. (iStock)
Fox News senior medical analyst Dr. Marc Siegel agreed with Duato’s outlook on the future of cancer care, noting that certain cancers will turn into chronic diseases while others will find outright cures.
“Advances [will be] based on the use of AI to help guide targeted treatments with expanding knowledge of cancer mutations and how to target them,” he predicted, speaking to Fox News Digital.
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Siegel added that biomarkers and AI can help with earlier diagnoses, as well as a more advanced and personalized approach to surgery.
J&J recently acquired Firefly Bio, a biotech firm that produces drugs that enter cancer cells to “target certain proteins that contain difficult to treat gene mutations,” the doctor added.
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