A functional medicine physician is cautioning against the growing practice of taking maximum doses of popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs indefinitely, warning the approach could do more harm than good even as interest in peptides expands beyond weight loss into the field of healthy aging.
Dr. Will Cole, co-author of the upcoming book “Heal Your Cells,” told Fox News Digital that peptides are “intimately connected” with longevity, cellular healing and metabolic health, and that they play a role in cellular communication. But he said recommendations on how to use them depend heavily on context, and the right answer is often “somewhere in the middle.”
Cole cited prior research finding that an estimated 93% of U.S. adults are metabolically unhealthy, leaving only about 7% who meet the criteria for optimal metabolic health — a statistic he called “wild.”
“That’s common, but not normal,” Cole said.
While he acknowledged GLP-1 medications can offer real benefits, Cole argued that improving metabolic health requires addressing lifestyle and other underlying factors rather than relying on the drugs alone. He said he does not believe “macro-dosing” GLP-1s “forever and ever in perpetuity” is the solution.
Concerns Beyond Weight Loss
GLP-1 drugs are known for reducing food cravings, sometimes called “food noise,” which helps drive weight loss. But Cole said he’d like to see more research into whether suppressing appetite could also blunt cravings for love, relationships and other mood-boosting experiences.
“So, are we circumventing pathways and pathologizing things that don’t have to be pathologized?” Cole asked.
He argued that some level of hunger signaling is a healthy, normal part of human biology. “Food noise is actually a decent thing in balance, so shutting down your hunger cues with an ‘atomic bomb’ peptide dose is not the solution,” Cole said. He added that overreliance on these medications may contribute to disordered eating patterns and a growing fear of hunger itself.
Cole attributed the trend toward maximum, continuous dosing to a broader cultural preference for quick fixes over sustained lifestyle change. “We want a magic pill,” he said. “And the truth is somewhere in the middle: Can we micro-dose? Can we do it cyclically? And can we pair it with lifestyle?”
Root Causes, Not Just Symptoms
Cole questioned why there has been an “epidemic rise” of metabolic problems in the first place, pointing to diets high in ultraprocessed foods, nutrient deficiencies, environmental toxins, and unaddressed stress and trauma as contributing factors.
“That is why we’re seeing a rise of chronic health problems, not a pharmaceutical deficiency,” Cole said.
Still, Cole said he supports wider access to peptides, provided there is transparency, product purity and clear labeling so both health professionals and consumers can make informed choices. He said he sees real therapeutic promise in GLP-1s, including potential to reduce inflammation, help manage autoimmune conditions and improve gut health — provided they’re used at the lowest effective dose alongside lifestyle changes.
“What’s the lowest dose that yields a beneficial result paired with lifestyle? I think that’s where peptides can really shine,” Cole said. “And I am actually more excited about some of these other peptides, like the inflammation ones or the longevity peptides.”
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