Overview
- Tim Spector says focusing solely on weight loss misses key risks tied to diet quality and gut microbes, urging changes that go beyond injections.
- An analysis by online provider Zava estimates about 2.5 million people in the UK now use GLP-1 medicines, with average losses of roughly 8kg per person.
- Spector cautions that continuing to eat ultra-processed foods, even in smaller amounts, disrupts gut microbes and leaves people vulnerable to cancers and mental health problems.
- He calls GLP-1s “good drugs” but says current use is improper and likely a temporary fix without concurrent shifts toward higher-quality foods.
- In research he cites, a Nature study of 34,000 Zoe users identified microbial patterns linked to cardiometabolic conditions, offering clearer markers of a healthy gut.