The impact of Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists on obese individuals’ quality of life and eating behaviors

Background: Obesity is a multifactorial, neurobehavioral, chronic disease associated with long-term metabolic and psychosocial health consequences, all of which affect the quality of life (QoL). Eating behavior is an essential and critical factor that is connected to both the development of obesity and its effect on QoL. While glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) show promise for improving both weight and metabolic parameters, their effects on specific eating behaviors, particularly emotional eating, remain incompletely understood.
Objectives: This study aims to investigate the complex relationships between obesity, eating behaviors, and QoL in individuals with different BMI categories.
Methods: This cross-sectional study utilized both online and face-to-face surveys conducted among a cohort of Iraqi individuals with BMI higher than 18.5 which were users and non-users of GLP-1RAs between December 2024 and March 2025.
Results: Participants with higher BMI demonstrated higher scores of emotional overeating (EOE) and hunger, while satiety responsiveness and slowness in eating were inversely related. Hunger scores were lower in GLP-1RAs users with higher QoL scores, though EOE remained elevated. Behavioral clustering demonstrated that the fuzzy eaters’ group are associated with high EOE, and low satiety, while the gourmets’ group are associated with higher food enjoyment and slower eating.
Conclusion: Despite improving appetite regulation and QoL, GLP-1RAs do not completely address emotional eating. Behavioral clustering provides an insight to understand individual differences in obesity-related behavior and necessitates the need for personalized interventions. Physiologic and psychological dimensions of obesity must both be dealt with for the improvement of patient well-being.