Nicolás Umpiérrez, physician: “Weight loss drugs can reduce both fat and lean muscle mass”

The drive to achieve a slimmer appearance in just a few weeks before summer continues to push many people toward drastic weight-loss methods. Crash diets, intense workout plans and unsupervised fasting are now being combined with self-medication and the growing use of obesity drugs, such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, without a comprehensive treatment plan. According to experts, this lack of medical supervision compromises patient safety and reduces the effectiveness of treatment.

The desire to lose weight... fast

The desire for immediate results, however, clashes with current scientific evidence. Clinical research links rapid weight loss — defined as losing more than 10% of body weight in just a few weeks — to metabolic imbalances, hormonal changes and significant muscle loss. Clinical trials have shown that roughly 39% of the weight lost during rapid weight-loss programs may come from lean tissue. Likewise, multiple reviews and meta-analyses have found that without strength training and adequate protein intake, muscle loss during treatment with weight-loss medications can range from 15% to as much as 60% of the total weight lost.

Against this backdrop, specialists strongly discourage self-medicating simply to get in shape for summer, stressing that safe, sustainable weight loss should be gradual, with an ideal rate of about one to two pounds per week.

“During rapid weight loss, these medications can reduce both fat mass and lean muscle mass if they are not combined with strength training and adequate protein intake,” said Dr. Nicolás Umpiérrez, an obesity specialist at Yazen, a weight loss clinic. “This increases the risk of muscle loss, which ultimately reduces strength, limits physical function and causes a sharp decline in basal metabolic rate.”

To help prevent this loss of muscle, current clinical guidelines recommend combining treatment with regular resistance training and consuming between 1.2 and 1.6 grams of high-quality protein per kilogram of body weight each day.

“At this time of year, we see more patients who have tried to lose weight quickly on their own without any medical supervision,” Umpiérrez added. “Buying these medications on the black market or using them without professional oversight is dangerous. It can destroy muscle mass and increase the likelihood of regaining the weight.”

Social stigma of obesity

The latest epidemiological data highlight the scale of the problem in the United States, where about 40% of adults have obesity and roughly one-third are overweight.

In this context, a Europe-wide survey conducted by Yazen in January 2026 among 1,346 active patients found that 62% initially tried to manage their weight on their own through willpower alone.

“That figure reflects how deeply rooted the false belief remains that obesity is simply the result of weak character or laziness,” Umpiérrez said. “It ignores the genetic and endocrine factors that play a major role in this disease.”

He also emphasized the need to change how society talks about obesity.

“People still tend to view obesity as a personal choice or a lack of willpower, when scientific evidence clearly shows it is a chronic, multifactorial disease with important biological, endocrine and inflammatory components,” he said. “Using modern obesity medications is not about taking the easy way out. It is about using an evidence-based treatment that helps correct the biological mechanisms involved in regulating appetite, satiety and body weight. If we continue to stigmatize and blame patients, we will only push people away from the safe medical treatments they truly need.”

The psychological impact

Psychologists at the clinic also warn that pursuing rapid weight-loss methods purely for cosmetic reasons before summer can have serious psychological consequences.

Ángela Ott, a psychologist at Yazen, said the obsession with immediate results can significantly affect emotional well-being.

“Treating weight loss as a temporary project simply to meet certain appearance standards before summer can deeply affect emotional health,” Ott explained. “Strict dieting or extreme exercise without a genuine focus on self-care can undermine our ability to regulate emotions. Over time, these behaviors can create an unhealthy relationship with food, damage self-esteem through repeated frustration and contribute to social isolation, which may become a gateway to eating disorders.”

Clinical evidence also shows that using obesity medications without a proper diagnosis or a comprehensive treatment plan puts patients at risk.

“No treatment plan is truly effective unless each person’s medical history and metabolic health are carefully evaluated,” Umpiérrez concluded. “A safe approach requires multidisciplinary support that promotes long-term health rather than just short-term weight loss.”

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