Women generally use AOMs more than men, 97, 98 making coverage of these medications, when appropriate, important in supporting the women in your workforce. Ts chree ecnoirneg c, oi nmt epnosni ve en tbse ohfa vc oi omr apl r tehheernaspi yv,emoebdeisciat yt i oc no vt ehreargaep ys, hsouurlgde ri ny cal un dd ewperi egvhet nmt i aonn-, agement programs and supports. 99 Sa fi mf o irlda ar lbyl, ef ot rr edaitamb ee nt et s. ,HcEoDv eI Sr amg ee as shuoruelsd i innccl luuddi en gp rheevme no tgiloonb, i ns cAr e1ecn(i Hn gb,Am1 oc )n ti teosrt ii nn gg aa nn dd cc oo nn tt rr oo ll ,, spheor ui ol dd ibc er tertai nc ka el de yaen de xraemp os r, tsecdr .eTe rnei na tgmf oe nr tks i idnncel uy ddi ni sge Aa sOeMasn adnbdl ob oa dr i aptrrei cs ssuurre - gery should be included where weight is a significant factor.
GLP-1 AGONISTS : THE NEED FOR ONGOING CARE AND SUPPORT Much recent media attention has focused on a class of AOMs called Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists or GLP-1 agonists used for both dia- betes and obesity treatment. GLP-1 exerts its main effect by stimulating glucose-dependent insulin release from the pancreatic islet cells. It has also been shown to slow gastric emptying, inhibit inappropriate post-meal glucagon release, and reduce food intake. Because of their effectiveness in helping people lose weight and lowering their risk for diabetes and heart disease, 100 GLP-1 agonists have been seized upon by some as miracle drugs, and periodic shortages have resulted. As with all medications, these drugs are not for everyone, and they do come with side effects. It is therefore important that physicians who prescribe these drugs do so after a thorough clinical assessment and provide ongoing care and support for patients taking them. The good news is that according to the American Board of Obesity Med- icine, a record number of physicians have applied to become certified in obesity medicine. More than 6,700 physicians are certified in obesity medicine and in October, 2023, 1,889 will take the exam to become cer- tified, almost double the 1,001 exam candidates in 2020. 101 Employers should ask their health plans to ensure there is an adequate number of in-network obesity-certified physicians.
97 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6868321/ 98 https://www.endocrinepractice.org/article/S1530-891X(21)01122-8/fulltext 99 https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/clinically-driven-payment-and-benefit-design-improve-health-equity-case-obesity 100 https://health.clevelandclinic.org/weight-loss-drugs/ 101 https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/physicians-rush-to-get-certified-in-obesity-medicine.html
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