Can a GLP-1 Shrink Your Menopause Belly? What New Science Tells Us
GLP-1 receptor agonists, like semaglutide and tirzepatide, are making headlines not just for dramatic weight loss, but also by proving to help target this hormone-driven transformation.
More from Flow Space
Menopause and Mental Health: Coping with Mood Swings and Anxiety
But can these drugs really help shrink the hormonal belly bulge? What does the latest science say about GLP-1 safety and effectiveness for midlife women? Here's what you need to know.
Menopause belly refers to the increase in abdominal fat that many women experience during and after menopause.
'This shift is driven primarily by hormonal changes, specifically the decrease in estrogen,' Catherine Metzgar, PhD, RD, director of coaching operations at Virta Health, told Flow Space. 'Estrogen plays a key role in regulating body fat distribution, and when levels decline, fat tends to accumulate more viscerally which is around abdominal organs.'
This is a shift from pre-menopause, when fat tends to accumulate more in the hips and thighs.
Other factors that contribute include:
Insulin resistance or insulin sensitivity—associated with increased fat accumulation.
Muscle loss—decreases with age, less muscles results in a slow metabolism.
Stress and sleep issues—increase cortisol levels, which are linked to abdominal fat storage.
These metabolic shifts do have long-term impacts on our health, added Metzgar. Visceral fat is linked to an increased risk for metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Originally developed for type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 drugs mimic a gut hormone that regulates blood sugar, curbs appetite and slows digestion. This can result in a reduced appetite, improved insulin sensitivity and weight loss, specifically in visceral fat. These effects are especially relevant during menopause, when insulin resistance tends to rise and metabolism slows.
'These GLP-1 medications can help by slowing the time it takes for your stomach to empty and by making you feel fuller longer,' Dr. Brunilda Nazario, chief medical officer at WebMD told Flow Space. 'These drugs can help restore your metabolism, making it easier to lose weight and improve body shape.'
And now a new study has found that GLP-1 agonist, tirzepatide, can help with overall weight loss, as well as reduce deep abdominal fat and improve key cardiometabolic markers.
Physicians from New York-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medicine found that a primary concern for women in menopause is weight gain. In order to better understand GLP-1s efficacy for women in midlife, they conducted a secondary analysis of data from the SURMOUNT clinical trial to determine the efficacy of tirzepatide in women in the premenopausal, perimenopausal and postmenopausal stages of life.
What they found was that regardless of reproductive stage, tirzepatide was associated with significant body weight, waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio reductions in women living with obesity or who are overweight.
Tirzepatide, like other GLP-1s, delay gastric emptying and increase feelings of fullness, which help to reduce appetite and, therefore, food intake. These medications also improve insulin response and glucose control, which also supports weight loss.
'These results are not surprising and are consistent with other research evaluating GLP-1 medications and observed weight loss,' says Metzgar. 'Therefore, the findings can likely be applied to other GLP-1 agonists beyond tirzepatide. Even the authors of the study make a similar conclusion.'
The researchers found that tirzepatide worked by targeting the visceral fat in menopausal women in the same way it targets fat for other individuals who used GLP-1 drugs. They also noted that lifestyle changes, like proper diet and exercise, were also an important piece of the equation to ensure optimal results.
'Based on our research, we believe clinicians prescribing tirzepatide can feel more confident recommending the medication to their patients, especially women reporting menopause-related weight gain,' the researchers concluded. 'The data provides reassurance that this medication is effective in the setting of perimenopause and menopause.'

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Wire
an hour ago
- Business Wire
Pfizer Completes Licensing Agreement with 3SBio
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pfizer Inc. (NYSE: PFE) announced today the completion of a global, ex-China, licensing agreement with 3SBio, Inc. ( granting Pfizer exclusive rights for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of 3SBio's SSGJ-707, a bispecific antibody targeting PD-1 and VEGF developed using 3SBio's proprietary CLF2 platform. This agreement solidifies Pfizer at the forefront of innovative cancer research and further enhances the company's robust oncology pipeline. 'We are excited to contribute our significant expertise and resources to advance rapidly the development of the SSGJ-707 program including novel combination strategies across a number of our major tumor areas of focus,' said Chris Boshoff, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Scientific Officer and President, Research & Development, Pfizer. 'This is an important candidate that combines two key targets in a promising class of medicines, complementing our antibody-drug conjugate portfolio and further demonstrates our commitment to advancing pioneering science to deliver transformative cancer medicines and new hope to people living with cancer.' SSGJ-707 is currently undergoing several clinical trials in China for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), metastatic colorectal cancer, and gynecological tumors. Positive interim Phase 2 results evaluating the safety and efficacy of SSGJ-707 as monotherapy in patients with advanced NSCLC were recently presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting. Pfizer plans to manufacture drug substance for SSGJ-707 in Sanford, North Carolina, and drug product in McPherson, Kansas. The clinical development plan for SSGJ-707 moving forward will include trial sites across the U.S. and rest of world with priority to the Phase 3 global development plan for NSCLC and other solid tumors. The first Phase 3 global studies will initiate enrollment in the U.S. Under the terms of the agreement, 3SBio will receive a payment of $1.25 billion. Pfizer will also make a $100 million equity investment in 3SBio. Additionally, the agreement provides Pfizer the option to extend the license to include exclusive development and commercialization rights to SSGJ-707 in China. In exchange for the exclusive rights in China, Pfizer will pay 3SBio up to $150 million in option payments. For additional background on the licensing deal, please read the announcement press release here. About Pfizer Oncology At Pfizer Oncology, we are at the forefront of a new era in cancer care. Our industry-leading portfolio and extensive pipeline includes three core mechanisms of action to attack cancer from multiple angles, including small molecules, antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs), and bispecific antibodies, including other immune-oncology biologics. We are focused on delivering transformative therapies in some of the world's most common cancers, including breast cancer, genitourinary cancer, hematology-oncology, and thoracic cancers, which includes lung cancer. Driven by science, we are committed to accelerating breakthroughs to help people with cancer live better and longer lives. About Pfizer: Breakthroughs That Change Patients' Lives At Pfizer, we apply science and our global resources to bring therapies to people that extend and significantly improve their lives. We strive to set the standard for quality, safety and value in the discovery, development and manufacture of health care products, including innovative medicines and vaccines. Every day, Pfizer colleagues work across developed and emerging markets to advance wellness, prevention, treatments and cures that challenge the most feared diseases of our time. Consistent with our responsibility as one of the world's premier innovative biopharmaceutical companies, we collaborate with health care providers, governments and local communities to support and expand access to reliable, affordable health care around the world. For 175 years, we have worked to make a difference for all who rely on us. We routinely post information that may be important to investors on our website at In addition, to learn more, please visit us on and follow us on X at @Pfizer and @Pfizer News, LinkedIn, YouTube and like us on Facebook at Disclosure Notice: The information contained in this release is as of July 24, 2025. Pfizer assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements contained in this release as the result of new information or future events or developments. This release contains forward-looking information about, among other topics, Pfizer Oncology, SSGJ-707, an investigational bispecific antibody targeting PD-1 and VEGF, a global, ex-China, licensing agreement between Pfizer and 3SBio, Inc. granting Pfizer exclusive rights for the development, manufacturing and commercialization of SSGJ-707, and an option to extend the license to include exclusive development and commercialization rights to SSGJ-707 in China, including their potential benefits, manufacturing plans and development plans, that involves substantial risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such statements. Risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the transaction, including the possibility that the expected benefits from the transaction will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; risks related to the successful integration of the licensed asset with Pfizer's business; disruption from the transaction making it more difficult to maintain business and operational relationships; negative effects of this announcement or the consummation of the transaction on the market price of Pfizer's common stock and/or operating results; significant transaction costs; unknown liabilities; the risk of litigation and/or regulatory actions related to the transaction or SSGJ-707; manufacturing capabilities or capacity; other business effects and uncertainties, including the effects of industry, market, business, economic, political or regulatory conditions; future exchange and interest rates; risks and uncertainties related to issued or future executive orders or other new, or changes in, laws, regulations or policy; changes in tax and other laws, regulations, rates and policies; the uncertainties inherent in business and financial planning, including, without limitation, risks related to Pfizer's business and prospects, adverse developments in Pfizer's markets, or adverse developments in the U.S. or global capital markets, credit markets, regulatory environment, tariffs and other trade policies or economies generally; future business combinations or disposals; uncertainties regarding the commercial success of SSGJ-707 and Pfizer's commercialized and pipeline products; the uncertainties inherent in research and development, including the ability to meet anticipated clinical endpoints, commencement and/or completion dates for clinical trials, regulatory submission dates, regulatory approval dates and/or launch dates, as well as the possibility of unfavorable new clinical data and further analyses of existing clinical data; risks associated with preliminary or interim data; the risk that clinical trial data are subject to differing interpretations and assessments by regulatory authorities; whether regulatory authorities will be satisfied with the design of and results from the clinical studies; whether and when drug applications may be filed in any jurisdictions for SSGJ-707 or any of Pfizer's pipeline products for any potential indications; whether and when any such applications may be approved by regulatory authorities, which will depend on myriad factors, including making a determination as to whether the product's benefits outweigh its known risks and determination of the product's efficacy and, if approved, whether SSGJ-707 or any such other products will be commercially successful; decisions by regulatory authorities impacting labeling, manufacturing processes, safety and/or other matters that could affect the availability or commercial potential of SSGJ-707 or any such other products; uncertainties regarding the impact of COVID-19; and competitive developments. A further description of risks and uncertainties can be found in Pfizer's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, and in its subsequent reports on Form 10-Q, including in the sections thereof captioned 'Risk Factors' and 'Forward-Looking Information and Factors That May Affect Future Results', as well as in its subsequent reports on Form 8-K, all of which are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and available at and


CNBC
3 hours ago
- CNBC
This Indian pharma company sees a big opportunity in generic versions of weight-loss drugs
Dr. Reddy 's Laboratories is betting big on a new wave of growth fueled by a global demand for weight-loss drugs — by launching its own lower-cost version of semaglutide, the blockbuster ingredient behind Wegovy and Ozempic. The Indian pharmaceutical company plans to launch its generic version of the drug in 87 countries by 2026, CEO Erez Israeli said. "This is a very, very important product because it's becoming more and more as a first-line therapy for type 2 diabetes, as well as for weight loss," he told CNBC. In 2022, more than 2.5 billion adults globally were overweight, of whom 890 million were obese, according to the World Health Organization . The International Diabetes Foundation says that around 589 million people worldwide have diabetes, of whom over 90% have type 2 diabetes. Their reported effectiveness in treating obesity and diabetes had led to a supply crunch for semaglutide, with major pharmaceutical giants such as Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly scrambling to meet the demand. That supply gap, combined with expiring patents in India and Brazil, has opened up an opportunity for Dr. Reddy's to be a first mover in dozens of emerging markets. "The reason that so many markets can be open next year is because in many of these markets, the product was never launched due to capacity constrained by the innovator," Israeli said. "We have a chance to bring the product for the first time to these countries." Novo Nordisk is behind brands like Wegovy, which is used for weight loss only, and Ozempic and Rybelsus, which are treatments for type 2 diabetes. Eli Lily owns brands such as Tirzepatide, Mounjaro and Zepbound. Dr. Reddy's expects its product to be a significant contributor to revenue over the coming years, with Israeli noting: "It is going to be an important product for us. We can certainly see it is growing at the pace to get to hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue." Goldman Sachs had previously projected that the GLP-1 market could exceed $100 billion in annual sales by 2030 . However, high costs and limited availability have made access to these drugs largely concentrated in wealthier countries. Dr. Reddy's is not just planning to launch its generic version of the drug in 2026, but is already preparing for launches in countries that may open up in 2027 or 2028. The company is also eyeing additional GLP-1 generic products in the future. That market share may be easier to capture in some countries where Dr. Reddy's could be the only player—at least temporarily. "It could be a situation in some markets where we'll be the main one, or the only one for a certain period of time until the others will come." Crucially, Israeli believes that broader access to generics will lower the cost of GLP-1 and improve affordability in markets where it's still an "out-of-pocket" product for most people. DRREDDY-IN YTD line Dr Reddy's falls short of quarterly profit expectations The pharmaceutical company missed quarterly profit expectations on Wednesday, with its net profit increasing by 2% to 14.18 billion rupees ($164.2 million), below analysts' estimate of 14.94 billion rupees, according to LSEG data. While the company is looking outward, Dr. Reddy's continues to operate in competitive markets like the U.S., where its product portfolio is evolving. Israeli also acknowledged the crowded nature of the U.S. generics market. "The business model in the United States is actually, in a way, that you have multiple competitors on every product. This is the nature of the business. It has its opportunities as well as its risks."

Business Insider
4 hours ago
- Business Insider
We need to talk about the dark side of the Ozempic boom: A new eating disorder crisis
The last thing Chevese Turner needed was medication to help her lose weight. Twenty years into recovery from binge eating disorder and atypical anorexia, she was done trying to whittle her physique into something it didn't want to be. But after developing diabetes a few years ago, her doctor prescribed Mounjaro, a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (or GLP-1) that helps curb diabetes. A side effect of the medication? Weight loss. Knowing that, Turner, who lives outside Washington, DC, hesitated. "I don't want to start getting into this mode where I'm like, 'Yay, I'm losing weight,'" said Turner, 57, the CEO of the Body Equity Alliance, an advocacy and coaching organization. Part of her recovery from BED included learning to eat intuitively and letting her body tell her when it was hungry. Cautiously, she starting taking the drug. But, even at a low dose, Mounjaro eliminated her desire to eat, which caused her to drop pounds. This worried her. "I still have a therapist and I do everything I can to make sure that I keep in strong recovery," she said. Her endocrinologist, who had prescribed the medication, didn't understand her concerns. "She said, 'You don't have to eat lunch.' And I was like, 'No, I need to eat lunch and dinner and breakfast and snacks.' She just doesn't get eating disorders at all." Ozempic is hitting eating disorder centers hard About one in eight adults is currently taking a GLP-1, such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, designed for diabetes, and Zepbound and Wegovy, marketed for weight loss. The medications work by mimicking GLP-1, a natural hormone that helps regulate blood sugar, delay digestion, and signal fullness to the brain. While originally intended for people with type 2 diabetes or chronic obesity, these drugs have been co-opted by those seeking weight loss — even if it's not medically necessary. Experts warn that these medications can trigger new eating disorders, worsen existing ones, and complicate recovery. Brittany Lacour, nationaldirector of clinical assessment intake at Eating Recovery Centers, with programs across the country, said the number of people who have come into ERC already on a GLP-1 went from 11 in 2023 to 31 in 2024. So far there have been 14 cases in 2025, including a 14-year-old child. "We are seeing people who are coming into treatment with a relapse or new onset, and most of them are presenting with restrictive eating patterns, like anorexia," said Dr. Elizabeth Wassenaar, regional medical director of Eating Recovery Center of the West. She is also seeing an increase in atypical anorexia, a form of anorexia nervosa where someone is significantly restricting calories but is of average or above average weight. Dr. Joel Jahraus, vice president of medical services at Monte Nido, a national eating disorder treatment provider, has seen a 25% to 33% increase in patients already on GLP-1 medications when they enter treatment. Most, if not all, of them have a binge-eating disorder. "A year ago there was no one presenting for an intake on a GLP-1 and then it increased to a couple a month going back 6 months," he said. These days, Monte Nido gets around three to five patients a month who are on a GLP-1. But, he notes, patients often hide their GLP-1 use from the person doing the intake, typically only bringing it up when they show up onsite for actual admission. Doctors attribute their reticence to shame, embarrassment, and the fear that their medications might be taken away from them. "The effect of these meds can go absolutely contrary to the goals of eating disorder treatment, so it's important to figure that out," Jahraus said. "If they are low body weight and have no other indication for use such as diabetes or cardiovascular disease, there is no place for the GLP-1 meds because the medication causes further weight loss. If they are normal or above normal body weight, we go through a process to gauge if they'll be successful at stopping their eating disorders, but that comes after treatment is initiated." 'I'm not taking it for the right reasons, but I feel that I need to' For two decades, Rose, 32, who lives outside Boise, Idaho, wrestled with restrictive eating and bulimia, cycling in and out of residential and non-residential treatment programs. Anything that would help her shed the 100 pounds she gained when pregnant with her son and quiet the " food noise" — the obsessive thoughts about meals, calories, exercise, and weight that relentlessly plagued her — was enticing. So when she was diagnosed with diabetes three years ago, she finally had a "legit" medical reason to ask her internist for a prescription for Ozempic. She was elated. Her endocrinologist, dietician, and therapist were not. For people like Rose, with a history of restrictive eating, the inability to be in tune with their body could be disastrous. Still, Rose managed to persuade her internist to give her a prescription. He nervously agreed, but with strict conditions: she had to eat at least 1,500 calories a day, not exercise compulsively, and not lose more than two pounds a week. "As long as I was meeting those goals and all else was OK, I could stay on it," said Rose, who is currently on disability. (For privacy reasons, she requested anonymity.) Within days of starting the drugs, which she injected into her abdomen, she noticed a shift. She needed less insulin, and sometimes didn't any. But more importantly, she no longer spent hours ruminating on food and weight. And her hunger disappeared. "It actually freaked me out," she said. "I wasn't intentionally restricting, but I had to force myself to remember to eat." Her daily caloric intake plummeted to about 850 calories and then 350, which she tracked with MyFitnessPal. She did an hour of cardio every day and regularly took laxatives and diuretics, all of which she hid from her team. Because, of course, she liked the weight loss. She couldn't help herself. As she put it, "I know I'm not taking it for the right reasons, but I still feel that I need to." Routine screening for eating disorders risk does not occur in many medical settings, including those where GLP-1 drugs are prescribed Dr. Doreen Marshall According to a recent report in Annals of Internal Medicine, in 2022 and 2023 about 24,500 emergency room visits were linked to semaglutide, Ozempic's active ingredient, primarily due to severe gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In 2023, a Louisiana woman sued Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, the makers of Ozempic and Mounjaro, for not disclosing the risk of serious gastrointestinal issues caused by the drugs. (The case is still pending.) As of May 1, there have been 1,809 lawsuits pending against the makers of GLP-1 drugs. Almost everyone who stops taking the medications regains about two-thirds or more of the weight they lost on it — a widely accepted statistic that can make it hard for someone with an eating disorder to quit the drugs. But there are no studies on the long-term impacts of these drugs on health. "In our population, people take it to a new level," Jahraus said. "They don't understand the risks involved. What are you going to do when you stop taking the medication for whatever reason, and you gain back two thirds of the weight you lost? To an eating disorder patient, that's a disaster." Labels for Wegovy and Zepbound warn of side effects like nausea and vomiting, but they say nothing about eating disorders, which affect nearly 1 in 10 people in the United States, according to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Doctors fail to recognize eating disorders in people in larger bodies Another issue is that many doctors aren't properly trained in eating disorder treatment. "People are often surprised to learn that routine screening for eating disorders risk does not occur in many medical settings, including those where GLP-1 drugs are prescribed," said Dr. Doreen Marshall, CEO of the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). Many general medical practitioners receive limited or no training or education on eating disorders." This is especially true when it comes to patients in larger bodies, who might suffer from BED or atypical anorexia. Many doctors see a heavier patient and assume they simply need to lose weight, but that's not always true. "We're prescribing for higher-weight people what we diagnose as eating disorders in thin people," said Deb Burgard, a psychologist and eating disorders specialist, and one of the founders of the Health at Every Size framework of care. "The breathless hype about a drug that aims to starve people is that it starves people seemingly without a protest from the starving body," Burgard added. "From our bodies' point of view, starvation is a disaster, no matter the source." How do you stop? In an ideal world, Chevese Turner would eliminate Mounjaro, but the world doesn't bend to our whims. Her diabetes is under control, and that's important. Still, she remains vigilant so she doesn't fall back into her old habits. She began setting a timer to remember when to eat, which she had done in the early stages of her recovery. "I had worked so hard for a long time to become an intuitive eater and my whole self has changed because I'm in recovery and I eat intuitively," she said. "It's just a totally different relationship with food and body. So I had to start going back to the very beginning of what I did in my recovery, and that was set timers to remember to eat." They would be devastated if they knew why I'm really taking it Rose, who asked a relative to get her Ozempic, saying it was for diabetes As for Rose, she has lost about 45 pounds since starting Ozempic. After her insurance stopped covering it, she began paying $1,000 a month out of pocket for a similar drug, Rybelsus, that a family member — believing she wanted it for her diabetes — helped her procure. "They would be devastated if they knew why I'm really taking it," she said. She has had regular appointments with her endocrinologist, but never discussed her GLP-1 use. In mid May, she ran out of Rybelsus and didn't refill it; it was too expensive. Around this same time she landed in the hospital with low potassium, which doctors blamed on her overuse of diuretics. If she had her way, she'd go back on Ozempic to lose another 45 pounds. She's thinking about buying some online, which won't require a doctor's prescription. This, of course, is dangerous in its own right, as unregulated or unlicensed vendors have been selling fake Ozempic online or in medical spas. In June 2024, the World Health Organization warned about falsified batches of Ozempic; the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy identified thousands of websites illegally selling fraudulent weight-loss drugs. Worldwide, 42 people were hospitalized after taking fake injections, according to the FDA's Adverse Event Reporting System. Some people died. Rose knows she's playing with fire. Still, she isn't ready to give up the drug. "I feel like I'm doing better than I have in a while, but the thoughts of wanting to lose weight or take Ozempic don't ever go away."