Taking back control: The experience of adults using semaglutide and tirzepatide for obesity treatment - A qualitative...

Adequately treating obesity remains a fundamental goal for improving quality of life and long-term health outcomes. Semaglutide and tirzepatide have shown clinically meaningful weight loss in clinical trials, yet despite this weight loss efficacy, little is understood about how patients with obesity using semaglutide or tirzepatide experience making dietary behavior change. Furthermore, little is known about their perceptions of obesity treatment and healthcare provider interactions since taking the medications.

This was a basic qualitative study wherein adults with obesity taking semaglutide or tirzepatide participated in in-depth interviews and open-ended questionnaires. Participation criteria included a Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 30.0 kg/m², taking semaglutide (between 1.0 and 2.4 mg) or tirzepatide (between 5.0 and 15.0 mg) for 6-18 months, and a weight loss of 7 %-20 %. Individual demographic data were reported, and interview transcripts and questionnaires were thematically analyzed.

The final sample included 8 participants (100 % female, mean age 42). Three themes addressed the experience of dietary behavior change: (a) feeling more capable, (b) more measured and deliberate with dietary choices, and (c) experiencing a reduced mental burden. Four themes addressed the experience of obesity treatment: (a) frustration with historical guidance and treatment, (b) hopeful about treatment for the first time, (c) compassion for self and others, and (d) unanticipated outcomes. Finally, two themes addressed the experience of healthcare provider interactions: (a) physicians as gatekeepers to the medications, and (b) physicians were not the initial introduction to the medications.

The findings suggest the medications provide a sense of hope for effective treatment, facilitate dietary behavior change, and evoke quality of life benefits beyond weight loss. The patient-provider relationship and obesity knowledge of the physician are integral in discussing and acquiring the medications, yet patients initially learn about the medications outside the healthcare system.