Are people with diabetes using GLP-1 medications being educated on lifestyle interventions?
No, they most often are not.
There is currently no single comprehensive statistic that definitively states how many people with diabetes using GLP-1 medications are also educated on lifestyle interventions.
However, we can draw insights from research and professional practice patterns:
What We Know:
GLP-1s are often prescribed without adequate lifestyle support.
Studies and clinical observations suggest that many patients prescribed GLP-1 receptor agonists (like semaglutide or liraglutide) do not receive structured education on lifestyle interventions, such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, and behavior change.Diabetes education is underutilized.
According to the CDC and ADA:Only about 5–7% of people with diabetes receive formal diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) in the U.S.
This includes lifestyle training but is not guaranteed to accompany GLP-1 prescriptions.
GLP-1s are increasingly prescribed in primary care, where time constraints and lack of access to dietitians or certified diabetes care and education specialists (CDCES) limit lifestyle counseling.
Clinical guidelines (from ADA, EASD) strongly recommend lifestyle intervention alongside pharmacologic treatment, including GLP-1s—but implementation is inconsistent.
Insights for this article were gathered from:
ADA Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes (2024)
CDC’s National Diabetes Statistics Report
Peer-reviewed studies on DSMES access and GLP-1 prescribing trends