27/01/2026
GLP-1s are moving fast. Our clinical frameworks MUST move faster.
Tonight's webinar on 'Navigating Side Effects and Nutritional Changes During GLP-1 Therapy' was designed for GPs - and the room reflected that.
Predominantly, GPs. Some allied health colleagues.
And, a number of GPs who themselves are patients, generously reflecting their own lived experience alongside their clinical practice.
That combination matters.
GLP-1s have transformed obesity and metabolic management in General Practice. But they've also exposed a growing gap - between prescribing and supporting patients well, over time.
As uptake accelerates, real world challenges are emerging faster than formal guidance can often keep up: nausea, reflux, constipation, micronutrient deficiencies, sarcopenia ... and more.
And alongside these - uncertainty about what to do next.
What made tonight's session powerful wasn't the slide deck (although I did try to make it look good!)
It was the live chat. GPs thinking out loud. Sharing patterns they are seeing.
And, reflecting honestly.
Several comments captured the tone of the evening beautifully:
- "The side effects framework you taught is great!"
- "Rather than jump to prescribing (more) medications to manage side effects, consider exploring the onset and duration, to see if medications can be rationalised."
These reflections matter.
Because this is an emerging field.
GLP-1s are being prescribed faster than we can collectively keep up with.
Without practical frameworks, it's far too easy to default to:
- Dose escalation
- Reactive prescribing
- Treating side effects in isolation
Rather than pausing to assess, personalise and prevent downstream harm.
Tonight, we slowed things down.
We explored:
- How to assess side effects in detail - the timing, severity, trajectory
- Why appetite suppression alone is NOT a treatment goal
- When alternative dosing strategies may be appropriate
- How nutritional adequacy becomes more important as intake declines
- The role of behaviour-focussed care and communication alongside pharmacology
And critically - how to do all this before reaching for the script pad.
While tonight was designed for GPs, the the presence of dietitians, and the depth of discussion around protein tolerance, fibre and muscle preservation reinforced an important truth - GLP-1 care is not a single-discipline medicine.
Side effect management, nutrition and long-term engagement require shared language and multidisciplinary care - not parallel practice.
These conversations are still evolving. And they need space.
Events like these allow us to pause, reflect and build safer, more consistent approaches. Not because we have all the answers, but because we're committed to doing better for our patients.
Thank you to all the attendees for your contributions and to Myhealth Academy for hosting this event.
This is how better care is built.
