BATON ROUGE — With a record number of Americans taking GLP-1 medications, a Baton Rouge weight-loss specialist says they don't work for everyone trying to lose weight.

Americans' use of GLP-1 injectables for weight loss has nearly quadrupled since 2024, with 11% of adults now taking the medications for weight loss. 

Jolie Relle, a physician assistant at the Baton Rouge General Weight Loss Center, says rapid weight loss can lead to medical problems like gallstones, pancreatitis, loose skin, gastrointestinal illness and bone loss. 

She adds that, while GLP-1s can be a tool, not everyone responds the same way to them, and some will not respond at all, especially those with diabetes. Relle says it affects about one in ten patients. 

"What insulin resistance is is your pancreas is producing insulin, but your body's not responding to it," Relle said. "Producing more insulin, we can put on more weight, and it can make weight loss harder. So people who have insulin resistance, which is a huge percentage of the population— it's called metabolic syndrome, another name. Same for people with hyperglycemia, sugar issues. They may not respond to GLP-1s like someone who doesn't have that issue."

Relle says that it's best to consult a doctor before taking GLP-1s to make sure you're not at risk for side effects, noting that diet and exercise should be the focus for losing weight. She says these are the safest and most long-term effective ways to lose weight.