GLP1's Weekly Pills Pens and Progress 13
Posted on October 16, 2026 by Sally-Anne Turner
This is an interesting week for the Bodyline Clinic.
We released a full news piece this week on fingernails and GLP-1s due to sensationalist headlines in the media.
However, as we say every week at our medical weight loss clinic, GLP-1 research and findings are a never-ending area. Not only are GLP-1s being tried and experimented on in other areas, but we are now seeing how they may impact different sexes, their interaction with common meds and even how the World Health Organisation (WHO) wants them used due to this.
So, welcome to edition 13 of Pills, Pens and Progress at the Bodyline Clinic.
WHO Guideline Update
The World Health Organisation (or the WHO) released its first global guidelines for managing obesity in both children and adolescents on the 7th of October 2026. It has stated that this group need to receive lifestyle and behavioural support rather than bariatric surgery or weight loss medications like GLP-1’s.
NHS stats show that 27% of children in the UK are overweight and 1 in 8 children between the ages of 4 and 5 are obese. Worldwide data collected by the WHO in 2024 note that around 170 million children and adolescents aged between 5 and 19 were living with obesity. In this age group, this has increased fourfold, from 2% in 1990 to 8%.
Even with this increase, the WHO recommends structured interventions such as:
- Addressing diet.
- Increasing physical activity.
- Behavioural support and changes.
- Digital interventions may be recommended when supervised by a parent or caregiver.
Weight loss medications like Mounjaro UK may be considered for adolescents aged between 10-19. However, these should only occur when a supervised lifestyle programme has not produced the desired results. Bariatric surgery may also be considered in this group, but only under a strict set of clinical circumstances for adolescents with severe obesity.
On an interesting note, the WHO stresses that when dealing with childhood obesity, mental health and wellbeing should be addressed, rather than looking at the weight alone, or the NHS BMI. It notes the link between anxiety, depression, low self- esteem, stigma and bullying and excess weight and unhealthy behaviours.
It seems that more and more medical agencies are noting that people of all ages who take GLP-1s need psychological support. Indeed, this is what our team at the Bodyline Clinic believe and practices.
See the source here: https://www.who.int/micronesia/news/detail-global/07-10-2026-who-issues-first-global-guidelines-on-child-and-adolescent-obesity
Women, GLP-1s and Side Effects
Side effects of GLP-1s are well known by now: nausea, vomiting and headaches.
But a new study highlights a gender divide in how the side effects may impact people. New data from Lund University and the University of Leicester have noted that when it comes to taking GLP-1 medications, women may experience and report more side effects than men.
These findings were spoken about at the 2026 European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD). Women who took GLP-1’s like the Wegovy pill reported higher frequencies of headaches, vomiting and drowsiness. Interestingly, in placebo-controlled studies, this difference between men and women has also been noted. This may be due to women having greater exposure to the medication after body mass is considered, or even a link between GLP-1s and oestrogen.
There is a growing need for researchers to explore GLP-1s in relation to mental health and eating disorders, GLP-1s and the contraceptive pill, fertility, pregnancy, breastfeeding, menopause, cardiovascular health and ageing. And now, they need to look into why this difference between men and women needs to be explored for future treatment protocols. Perhaps women can lose weight on a lower dose than men, and the muscle/fat ratio has something to do with it? Or maybe it is hormonal.
Either way, it highlights the need for personalised care and not blanket guidelines with these medications.
Check out the original paper here: https://doi.org/10.1016/S3050-5038(26)00228-1
Anaesthetic and GLP-1s
As many as 2,872,600 people in the UK will undertake general anaesthesia each year according to the National Audit Projects.
Yet, a new study from the UK has highlighted potential risks of taking GLP-1 medications before surgery under general anaesthesia. As you know, when you go under, you are advised not to eat for a set number of hours beforehand to prevent aspiration. Those who take GLP-1 medications were 11 times more likely to experience pulmonary aspiration (food going into their lungs) or regurgitation (vomiting).
This study looked at 47,000 surgical patients in the UK, including 1,350 who had used GLP-1s in the three months leading up to their surgery. Most cases were linked to regurgitation and usually occurred upon waking. Does this mean GLP-1s caused this? No. It is not as simple as undesirable Wegovy vs Mounjaro side effects. Both diabetes and obesity can also increase the risk of these happening.
We all know that GLP-1s delay gastric emptying, and that is the concern. With GLP-1s, foods stay in the stomach for longer, and when under general anaesthetic, protective reflexes like coughing and swallowing are suppressed.
Another interesting finding was that even if the patients had stopped GLP-1 treatments a week before surgery, it may not solve the problem. About 1/3rd of GLP-1 users in the study had been advised to do this, but it had no immediate impact. This raises concerns for those who are taking GLP-1s and may need emergency surgery.
Patients should be advised to tell surgeons and anaesthetic teams about GLP-1 or peptide medications, rather than stopping the treatment themselves.
However, as these medications become more common, if someone is in an emergency and can’t communicate, how can this message be shared? Is it time for GLP-1-based medical alert bracelets?
See the original paper here: Peri‐operative glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonist use and outcomes: a national prospective multicentre cohort study - Potter - Anaesthesia - Wiley Online Library.
Our team at the Bodyline Clinic always advise those taking GLP-1’s to tell as many people as they can. Especially their medical teams. This helps to prevent any minor side effects from becoming larger ones and helps you receive supportive care from all directions.
If you are fed up with looking for “weight loss injections near me” and have specialised care needs or have worries that your current provider isn’t helping you as much as you would like, contact our team today. We have 18 years’ experience helping people to lose weight, and with over 100,000 happy customers in the UK, we know what we are doing in this area!
