The Ethical Landscape of Plastic Surgeons Prescribing Weight Loss Medications

In the last 10 years there has been a significant growth in the prescription of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists and the subsequent number of aesthetic body contouring procedures.1 The increasing popularity of these procedures is multifaceted, but has been attributed to, among other things, growing acceptance of such procedures, their greater accessibility, and a down-trend in obesity in the United States. Current data from the Gallup National Health and Well-being Index indicate that the US obesity rate in 2025 has declined to 37% from 39.9%, meaning there are an estimated 7.6 million fewer obese Americans.2 This decrease in the rate of obesity has resulted in more patients becoming eligible for plastic surgery procedures. The success of weight loss medications such as GLP-1 agonists has led to a gradual increase in the number of plastic surgery providers who have begun to prescribe these drugs. Han et al found that up to 25% of their study population of Aesthetic Society members prescribed or utilized GLP-1 agonists in their practice.3 The downstream effects of prescribing weight loss medications can have detrimental consequences regarding patient care, particularly when the provider has not been specially trained to manage complex weight loss patients.