(NewsNation) — Increased use of GLP-1 drugs to treat obesity appears to be significantly reducing the number of surgeries that were once the primary option for dramatic weight loss.

A new study published in JAMA Surgery examined trends in the use of metabolic and bariatric surgery in the United States between 2022 and 2024. As use of GLP-1 drugs increased by 140.4% during that period, bariatric surgery rates fell by 34%, researchers found after analyzing data from 11.7 million patients diagnosed with obesity or diabetes.

The findings align with a separate recent study from Loyola University Chicago, which found the number of metabolic and bariatric surgeries in the U.S. dropped below 200,000 in 2024 for the first time since 2020.

Comparing GLP-1s and weight loss surgery

Researchers reported a more than 20% decline between 2023 and 2024, falling from 217,387 procedures to 177,297.

“GLP-1s are starting a conversation in doctors’ offices that really wasn’t happening as much as it should have been,” said Dr. Richard M. Peterson, president of the American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery. “The high demand for these drugs and greater attention on the dangers of obesity has created an unprecedented opportunity to educate and engage patients on all proven treatments — not just medications — which is essential to effectively treating this chronic disease.”

Bariatric surgery was once commonly known as “stomach stapling,” an invasive procedure in which surgeons reduced stomach size through a large incision. Today, most procedures are minimally invasive and typically involve shorter recovery periods. Two of the most common are gastric sleeve surgery and gastric bypass.

GLP-1 medications were originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes but have been used more broadly for more than a decade to treat people who are overweight.

The drugs, which can have side effects, work by slowing digestion and reducing appetite.

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