Giving up alcohol on a GLP-1

Once upon a time, the biggest shift in many people’s drinking happened when they finished their midnight glass of champagne on New Year’s Eve and attempted “Dry January.” But now more people are cutting down or entirely eliminating alcohol year-round thanks to GLP-1s. Here’s how these medications are ushering in a new age of sobriety.

The newest research is showing no amount of alcohol is healthy for you, so there are several proven benefits from sobriety. It turns out “a glass of red wine is good for your heart” is a myth; it actually increases your risk of heart disease. A recent study found a direct correlation between alcohol consumption and dementia risk, too, so going sober can help lower your risk of both issues. And of course cutting out extra Points from alcohol may help with weight loss.

A Weight Watchers study found that 45% of people on second-generation GLP-1 medications (semaglutide and tirzepatide) decreased their alcohol intake. This side effect seems to be unique to GLP-1s, connected mostly to how they work in the brain, and may help with other addictions as well, with research linking it to reductions in opioid-use disorder.

“We don't know the exact mechanisms yet of how these medications influence alcohol consumption, but our guess is that GLP-1 drugs can reduce the release of dopamine in the brain's motivation center, making previously rewarding behaviors, like over-drinking, less enjoyable,” says Michelle Cardel, Ph.D., M.S., RD.

We’re hearing from some Weight Watchers members on GLP-1s who are navigating the new-to-them world of sobriety, often so painlessly they don’t even notice.

Member Ashley Z. had been a social drinker and had trouble trying to cut out alcohol on previous weight loss journeys. “My family all lives close by, and on a Saturday, we're just all going to hang out and eat and drink. When you socialize at least once or twice a weekend, it becomes a challenge trying to fit that into your dieting,” she says. Once she began a GLP-1, “the desire was gone.” These days, she pours her vitamin-enhanced water into a wine glass to feel festive before joining the party.

Member Jake P. says “alcohol just doesn’t appeal to me anymore.” So, he repurposed his beer fridge into a diet-soda fridge.

At first, member Tamara H. found her lack of appetite for both food and alcohol frustrating: It “definitely impacts being able to truly enjoy a dinner party — or any party with alcohol." Still, she has no regrets about starting her GLP-1. “The weight loss is bigger than those bites and sips. I wanted to be healthier, so I was okay with that [part of my life] taking a backseat. For the weight loss. For the increased mobility. For another shot at living.”

Learn more about other healthy habits on a GLP-1