Surgery produced much larger average weight loss at two years, a result that reflects both the biological effects of altering digestion and the intensive support that typically follows surgery. GLP-1 drugs can be powerful tools, but their benefits in everyday settings are shaped by how long people stay on them, side effects, costs, and access to ongoing care. Those practical barriers help explain why results in the real world differ from those reported in tightly controlled trials.
Understanding the trade-offs between a surgical path and long-term medication matters for people’s health goals, quality of life, and equity in access to care. The full article digs into who was included, how outcomes were measured, and what this means for long-term planning. Click through to explore how these findings could reshape choices around treatment, recovery, and the supports that help people thrive after weight loss.
Bariatric surgery far outperformed GLP-1 weight loss drugs in a new real-world comparison of more than 50,000 patients. Two years after treatment, surgery patients lost about 58 pounds on average, while those using semaglutide or tirzepatide lost roughly 12 pounds. Even patients who stayed on GLP-1 drugs for a full year saw much smaller results than surgical patients. High dropout rates and real-world challenges appear to blunt the drugs’ effectiveness.
