Professor Tim Spector says a ‘perfect opportunity’ is going to waste
Professor Tim Spector and his Zoe co-founder Jonathan Wolf have issued advice for those looking to change their diets in the new year. Professor Spector told listeners to the Zoe podcast that many are overlooking the potential benefits of GLP-1 weight loss injections.
Rather than condemning the controversial weight loss method, the expert pointed out: “At the moment, no one’s giving advice to people on these drugs about what to eat. They just said you take care of it yourself. But once you take away that amazing hunger drive, it’s a huge opportunity for people to start eating better…I think this is a perfect opportunity for people when the pressure’s off.”
The Zoe expert stressed the importance of cutting back on ultra-processed foods and ensuring a nutrient-rich diet when you’re taking weight loss medication. He explained: “There are many cases of people taking these drugs, getting nutritional deficiencies, because they’re just not interested in the food.”
Professor Tim is advocating a greener diet by cutting out processed meats and fuelling up on gut-friendly foods. At the same time, he warned those who are just slightly overweight may still find risks of certain drugs can outweigh the benefits, but shared some hope that in the future these drugs could develop to be beneficial for everyone.
He said: “Rather than demonising these medications, we should be pragmatic and say; ‘Well, they’re here to stay. Let’s try and make people taking them healthier and more better educated about what they can do themselves’.”
Guest on the first Zoe podcast of 2025, Professor Sarah Berry, agreed, emphasising that these treatments aren’t a substitute for healthy eating: “You can’t out-inject a bad diet. And it’s really important when you’re reducing your food intake to make sure that the food that you’re having is supplying you with adequate nutrients, adequate amounts of your multivitamins, your minerals, your fibre, for example.”
GLP-1 drugs were originally formulated for type 2 diabetics and to help curb those with extreme cases of obesity but it has steadily found its way into mainstream diet tactics even for marginally overweight individuals. Despite the controversies around it, Professor Spector suggests there are cases where the injections offer more benefit than harm.
He explained: “All the evidence suggests that if you are living with obesity, so you have a BMI of over 30, or you have at least mild diabetes, then the benefit far outweighs the risks of the drug for you.” However, the expert underlined that there are still some severe side effects, highlighting that approximately one in five individuals may experience vomiting due to GLP-1 use.
What is GLP-1?
According to Diabetes UK, such drugs “can be prescribed to lower blood sugar levels in people living with type 2 diabetes. They can also be prescribed to support some people with weight loss.”
GLP-1 and weight loss
The Diabetes UK website states: “Some people lose weight when they take a GLP-1 agonist [drug] as part of their type 2 diabetes treatment. This is because these drugs slow down how quickly food is digested and can reduce your appetite, so you eat less.”
