I’ve been a physician for over 20 years. If there’s one conversation I’ve had more times than I can count, it’s about weight. Not just the number on the scale, but the frustration behind it—diets that didn’t stick, gym memberships that gathered dust, the feeling of trying everything and still falling short.

For years, the medical community treated obesity as a willpower problem. Eat less, move more, try harder. Lifestyle still matters, but we now understand something important: obesity is a metabolic condition, not a character flaw. Your body has hormonal systems that regulate hunger, fullness, and energy storage. For some people, those systems don’t cooperate.

That’s not an excuse. It’s biology.

What GLP-1 medications actually do

You’ve heard about the injectable weight loss medications making headlines. They belong to a class called GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Here’s how they work: instead of suppressing appetite through stimulants or blocking fat absorption, these medications mimic a hormone your gut produces after eating. That hormone signals fullness to your brain, slows digestion, and stabilizes blood sugar. Patients often describe it as quieting the constant mental chatter about food—what to eat next, when to eat, the cravings that interrupt your day.

Clinical trials show average weight loss of 15 to 20 percent. Some patients see results that used to require surgery. That’s significant for people who’ve struggled for years with methods that didn’t work.

What’s available here

In the Philippines, access is complicated.

Some of these medications are available at pharmacies but approved only for diabetes, not weight loss. Using them for weight management is technically off-label, though doctors do prescribe them this way. Other formulations approved for obesity abroad aren’t commercially available here yet—supply can’t keep up with global demand.

Cost is the real barrier. Monthly treatment runs around ₱30,000 to ₱50,000, out of pocket. Insurance doesn’t cover it. That’s more than the average monthly salary here. This limits who can actually access these treatments, regardless of medical need.

Stock-outs happen regularly. I’d advise against buying from online sellers—counterfeit products exist, and these medications need cold storage that informal sellers don’t maintain. Health authorities have flagged this as a real risk.

What you should know

A few things from my experience: These medications are tools, not solutions by themselves. If you don’t change how you eat, move, and manage stress, the weight comes back when you stop. They work best as part of a larger plan that addresses the habits and circumstances that got you here.

Medical supervision matters. There are real side effects—nausea, digestive problems, and in rare cases, more serious issues. Not everyone should take them. Work with a doctor who can evaluate whether they’re right for you and monitor how you respond.

And maybe the most useful shift in thinking: different bodies work differently. The future of weight management isn’t generic advice that assumes everyone’s metabolism is the same. It’s understanding your specific biology—hormones, gut health, how your body processes food—and building a plan around that.

Why this matters

What interests me isn’t any single medication. It’s that we’re starting to treat obesity as what it is—a condition shaped by genetics, hormones, and environment, not just behavior.

Shame doesn’t work as medicine. It never has.

In the Philippines, where food is central to how we connect—where kain tayo (let’s eat) is how we show care—weight management has cultural layers too. Lose weight quickly and people worry. “Mukha kang may sakit (You look sick).” That concern comes from love, but it complicates things. Sustainable change means finding balance, not rejecting traditions that matter to us.

The options are expanding. The science is getting better. And we’re finally having more honest conversations about what weight actually is and isn’t.

If you’re working on this, be patient with yourself. Get proper guidance. Wanting to feel good in your body isn’t vanity. It’s reasonable, and you deserve support in figuring it out.