These 5 weight-loss myths still persist — and many people believe them

(BPT) - When it comes to weight loss, old assumptions can be hard to shake, including the belief that diet and exercise alone should always be enough. With more than 100 million people in the U.S. overweight or living with obesity, separating fact from repeated misinformation can still be challenging.

Are GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptide-1) really as new as they seem? Can a pill actually help with weight loss? Here are five common myths about weight loss and the facts behind them, including what to know about treatment options such as Foundayo™ (orforglipron).

Foundayo is a prescription medicine used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with obesity, or some adults with overweight who also have weight-related medical problems, lose excess body weight and keep it off.

Foundayo should not be used with other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines. It is not known whether Foundayo is safe and effective for use in children.

Foundayo Select Safety Information

Warning: Tell your healthcare provider if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing, or shortness of breath. These may be symptoms of thyroid cancer. In studies with rodents, medicines that work like Foundayo caused thyroid tumors, including thyroid cancer. It is not known if Foundayo will cause thyroid tumors, or a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) in people. Do not take Foundayo if you or any of your family have ever had MTC or if you have an endocrine system condition called Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).

Myth 1: Losing weight is just a matter of diet and exercise.

Fact: Weight loss is about more than diet and exercise alone. Obesity is a chronic, multifactorial metabolic disease and can be linked to more than 200 health conditions. Genetic and environmental factors can also make long-term weight loss difficult, even with steady effort. In those cases, treatment options can be part of a broader plan developed with a doctor.

Myth 2: GLP-1s are new and untested.

Fact: The attention may be new, but the science is not. GLP-1s are the product of more than four decades of research. They were first identified in the 1980s, when researchers studying glucagon uncovered related hormone peptides. That discovery helped lead to GLP-1 treatments for certain diseases, including Foundayo, a once-daily GLP-1 pill approved for chronic weight management.

Myth 3: A pill can't deliver effective weight loss results.

Fact: It can. Foundayo is a once-daily GLP-1 pill that can be taken at any time of day, without planning around food or drink. In a 72-week clinical trial, adults taking the highest dose (17.2 mg), along with diet and exercise, lost up to 25 pounds, or about 11.1% of their body weight. That was up to 5x* the weight loss seen with diet and exercise alone at 17.2 mg.

*Foundayo is not for cosmetic weight loss, and individual results may vary. In 72-week studies, average weight loss among adults with or without type 2 diabetes was:

• 5.5 mg: ~5-7% (11-17 lbs)
• 17.2 mg: ~9.5-11% (21-25 lbs)
• Placebo: ~2-2.5% (5-6 lbs)
• Average baseline weight: ~220-229 lbs.

Myth 4: Health is about more than the number on the scale.

Fact: In addition to weight, factors such as cholesterol, blood pressure and waist size may also be considered. Doctors can track these measures while monitoring weight changes. In a 17-month Foundayo study in adults with obesity without diabetes, people who dieted, exercised and took Foundayo saw changes in cholesterol, blood pressure and waist circumference. Some people taking Foundayo also experienced an increase in resting heart rate. The study included a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. Foundayo is not for the treatment of cholesterol or blood pressure.

Myth 5: Getting started on treatment means navigating cost and access alone.

Fact: There are resources that can help. Depending on eligibility and insurance coverage, Lilly offers savings programs for commercially insured patients, self-pay options and tools to help patients understand coverage and possible out-of-pocket costs. Foundayo is also an option for eligible Medicare Part-D patients through the GLP-1 Bridge Program.

Eligible self-pay patients can access the first three strengths of Lilly's oral obesity medicine for $199 or less through Dec. 31, 2026: $149 for the first two strengths and $199 per month for the next. This reduced pricing applies to the second and third dose strengths through LillyDirect^® and more than 65,000 participating pharmacies via the Foundayo Self-Pay Savings Card Program. Terms, conditions and limitations apply.

Conclusion

What is known about weight has changed, but some familiar assumptions have not kept up. Learning the facts and understanding the options available now can help people have more informed conversations with their doctors about what may be right for them.

Talk to your doctor about whether Foundayo may be right for you as part of your weight management plan. Learn more, including full pricing, eligibility, support resources and safety information, at foundayo.lilly.com.

INDICATION AND SAFETY SUMMARY WITH WARNINGS

Foundayo™ (fown-DAY-oh) is a prescription medicine used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity to help adults with obesity, or some adults with overweight who also have weight-related medical problems, lose excess body weight and keep the weight off.

• Foundayo should not be used with other GLP-1 receptor agonist medicines.
• It is not known if Foundayo is safe and effective for use in children.

Warnings – Foundayo may cause tumors in the thyroid, including thyroid cancer. Watch for possible symptoms, such as a lump or swelling in the neck, hoarseness, trouble swallowing or shortness of breath. If you have any of these symptoms, tell your healthcare provider.

• Do not use Foundayo if you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC).
• Do not use Foundayo if you have Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).
• Do not use Foundayo if you have had a serious allergic reaction to orforglipron or any of the ingredients in Foundayo.

Foundayo may cause serious side effects, including:

Inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis). Stop taking Foundayo and call your healthcare provider right away if you have severe pain in your stomach area (abdomen) that will not go away, with or without nausea or vomiting. Sometimes you may feel the pain from your abdomen to your back.

Severe stomach problems. Stomach problems, sometimes severe, have been reported in people who use Foundayo. Tell your healthcare provider if you have stomach problems that are severe or will not go away.

Dehydration leading to kidney problems. Diarrhea, nausea and vomiting may cause a loss of fluids (dehydration), which may cause kidney problems. It is important to drink fluids to help reduce your chance of dehydration. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you have nausea, vomiting or diarrhea that does not go away.

Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Your risk for low blood sugar may be higher if you use Foundayo with medicines that can cause low blood sugar, such as insulin or a sulfonylurea. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include dizziness or light-headedness, sweating, confusion or drowsiness, headache, blurred vision, slurred speech, shakiness, fast heartbeat, anxiety, irritability, mood changes, hunger, weakness or feeling jittery.

Serious allergic reactions. Stop using Foundayo and get medical help right away if you have any symptoms of a serious allergic reaction, including swelling of your face, lips, tongue or throat, problems breathing or swallowing, severe rash or itching, fainting or feeling dizzy, or a very rapid heartbeat.

Changes in vision in patients with type 2 diabetes. Tell your healthcare provider if you have changes in vision during treatment with Foundayo.

Gallbladder problems. Gallbladder problems have happened in some people who use Foundayo. Tell your healthcare provider right away if you get symptoms of gallbladder problems, which may include pain in your upper stomach (abdomen), fever, yellowing of skin or eyes (jaundice), or clay-colored stools.

Food or liquid getting into the lungs during surgery or other procedures that use anesthesia or deep sleepiness (deep sedation). Foundayo may increase the chance of food getting into your lungs during surgery or other procedures. Tell your healthcare providers that you are taking Foundayo before you are scheduled to have surgery or other procedures.

Common side effects

The most common side effects of Foundayo include nausea, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting, indigestion, stomach (abdominal) pain, headache, swollen belly, feeling tired, belching, heartburn, gas and hair loss. These are not all the possible side effects of Foundayo. Talk to your healthcare provider about any side effect that bothers you or doesn't go away.

Tell your doctor if you have any side effects. You can report side effects at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Before taking Foundayo

• Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take. Foundayo may affect the way some medicines work, and some medicines may affect the way Foundayo works.
• Pregnancy Exposure Registry: There will be a pregnancy exposure registry for women who have taken Foundayo during pregnancy. The purpose of this registry is to collect information about the health of you and your baby. Talk to your healthcare provider about how you can take part in this registry, or you may contact Eli Lilly and Company at 1-800-LillyRx (1-800-545-5979).
• If you take birth control pills by mouth, talk to your healthcare provider before you take Foundayo. Birth control pills may not work as well while taking Foundayo. Your healthcare provider may recommend another type of birth control for 30 days after starting Foundayo and for 30 days after each dose increase of Foundayo.
• Talk to your healthcare provider about low blood sugar and how to manage it. Tell your healthcare provider if you are taking medicines to treat diabetes including insulin or sulfonylurea.

Review these questions with your healthcare provider:

• Do you have other medical conditions, including problems with your pancreas or kidneys, or severe problems with your liver, severe problems with your stomach, such as slowed emptying of your stomach (gastroparesis) or problems digesting food?
• Do you have a history of diabetic retinopathy?
• Are you scheduled to have surgery or other procedures that use anesthesia or deep sleepiness (deep sedation)?
• Are you pregnant or plan to become pregnant? Foundayo may harm your unborn baby.
• Are you breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed? Breastfeeding is not recommended during treatment with Foundayo.
• Do you take any other prescriptions or over-the-counter medicines, vitamins or herbal supplements?

How to take

• Take Foundayo exactly as your healthcare provider tells you to.
• Use Foundayo with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
• Take Foundayo by mouth one time each day, with or without food.
• Swallow tablets whole. Do not break, crush or chew the tablet.
• If you miss a dose, take it as soon as possible. Do not take 2 doses of Foundayo in the same day.
• Do not take more than 1 tablet per day.
• If you miss taking Foundayo for 7 or more days in a row, call your healthcare provider to discuss how to restart your treatment.
• If you take too much Foundayo, call your healthcare provider or Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 or go to the nearest hospital emergency room right away.

Learn more

Foundayo is a prescription medicine available in 0.8 mg, 2.5 mg, 5.5 mg, 9 mg, 14.5 mg or 17.2 mg oral tablets. For more information, call 1-800-545-5979 or go to foundayo.lilly.com.

This summary provides basic information about Foundayo but does not include all information known about this medicine. Read the information that comes with your prescription each time it is filled. This information does not replace talking with your doctor. Be sure to talk to your doctor or other healthcare provider about Foundayo and how to take it. Your doctor is the best person to help you decide if Foundayo is right for you.

OG CON BS APR2026

Texas' best free newsletter

Stay informed and entertained.

By signing up, you agree to our Terms Of Use and acknowledge that your information will be used as described in our Privacy Policy.

Foundayo™ is a trademark of Eli Lilly and Company.