Why weight loss is not about willpower

How GLP-1 medications are changing weight loss

In medicine, January is always the busiest month of the year for one thing — weight loss.

And today, when people talk about losing weight, the conversation almost inevitably turns to the new GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide. For good reason. Whatever you’ve heard — good or bad — one thing is not controversial: they work. These are, without question, the most effective medications for safe, medically supervised weight loss that we have ever had.

Which raises an obvious question:

If they work this well, why aren’t more people using them?

About 75% of U.S. adults are overweight or obese — that’s more than 180 million people. Yet only a small fraction have ever used a GLP-1 medication to help with weight loss. I haven’t conducted a formal poll, but after decades of treating patients, I hear the same reason again and again:

“I feel like I should be able to do this on my own.”

Let me be very clear:

That belief is one of the biggest myths in weight loss.

I’ve been treating patients with overweight and obesity for over 35 years, and here’s what the data — and real-world experience — consistently show if you’re overweight and hope to lose just 8–10% of your body weight on your own — and keep it off long-term — your odds of success are well under 10%. Most patients are surprised by that number. Almost everyone has a story about a time they did lose the weight. What they usually leave out is the part that came later —when the weight slowly returned.

The problem isn’t motivation.

It isn’t willpower.

And it certainly isn’t a character flaw.

Weight regulation is biology — hormones, appetite signaling, metabolism, muscle mass, and energy balance — and for most people, those systems are actively working againstlong-term weight loss.

That’s why our weight management program isn’t about “quick fixes” or white-knuckling your way through hunger. It’s about working with your physiology instead of fighting it, using the right tools at the right time — whether that includes GLP-1 medications, sermorelin, metabolic optimization, or hormone optimization and replacement. We help preserve energy and muscle while improving motivation along the way.

Sustainable weight loss is not about doing it alone.

It’s about doing it correctly.

Ready to get started? Find your nearest RegenCen location by clicking here.

Gustav Lo, MD
Chief Medical Officer, RegenCen & CSLC