New data suggest digital support helps patients lose more fat, preserve muscle and improve mental health with added digital care.
GLP-1 drugs have changed the conversation about weight loss almost overnight – we are aware of that. For many, the results are dramatic. The number on the scale drops faster than expected, sometimes for the first time in years. However, there’s a question trailing behind that success: what exactly is being lost?
A new 12-week study from digital therapeutics pioneer Omada Health leans into that question and offers a more layered answer [1]. It suggests that weight loss, on its own, may be too blunt a measure of success. What matters more is the quality of that loss: how much fat is reduced, how much muscle is preserved and how the person actually feels along the way.
In the study, adults with obesity who had recently started GLP-1 medications were split into two groups. One group received access to Omada’s GLP-1 Care Track, a program that combines health coaching, strength-focused exercise and digital tools. The other group continued without it.
After 12 weeks, the difference wasn’t subtle. Participants in the Omada program lost, on average, 1.8 times more total weight than those who didn’t receive the additional support. However, the more interesting shift occurred beneath the surface: they reduced their body fat percentage by twice as much and increased their muscle mass percentage by nearly threefold.
Think of the body like a house during renovation. You don’t just want to remove clutter; you want to preserve the structure. Fat loss without muscle preservation risks weakening the very system that keeps the body functioning well over time.
The hidden tradeoff of rapid weight loss
Rapid weight loss, especially with newer GLP-1 medications, often comes with a tradeoff. Studies have suggested that a significant portion of that loss can come from lean mass, which includes muscle.
Moreover, muscle is a metabolic currency, not just an aesthetic. It helps regulate blood sugar, supports mobility and acts as a buffer against aging-related decline. Lose too much of it, and the body can become more fragile, not less.
Omada’s findings suggest that this tradeoff isn’t inevitable; it can be managed, even mitigated, with the right kind of support. Their program emphasizes strength training and consistent behavioral guidance, which appear to help shift weight loss toward fat while preserving muscle.
What stands out in the data isn’t just physical change; it’s how participants reported feeling. Those in the Omada group saw greater improvements in mental health, physical functioning and confidence in their ability to manage their weight. That last piece – confidence – can be easy to overlook, but it’s often what determines whether progress sticks or fades.
Dr Thomas Tsang, MPH, the Chief Medical Officer at Omada Health, remarked that patients are frequently prescribed GLP-1 medications and subsequently left to navigate their health journeys with only vague guidance regarding the lifestyle adjustments necessary to achieve their wellness goals.
“Omada is designed to not only support members through their whole GLP-1 treatment journey, but to also increase the quality of the weight loss. Instead of only changing the number on the scale, the Omada program has demonstrated that it can change what that number is made of: more fat loss, preserved muscle, and better daily functioning,” he added.
From weight loss as an outcome, it’s now weight loss as a process that needs scaffolding.
A new metric for employers and for medicine
For employers and insurers, who are increasingly investing in GLP-1 therapies, this reframes what “value” actually looks like. If success is defined purely by pounds lost, the picture is incomplete, but if success includes sustained metabolic health, preserved strength and improved well-being, the stakes and the returns look different.
“These data make one thing very clear: employers and health plans need to judge the success of GLP-1 companion programs on more than total weight loss,” said Wei-Li Shao, President at Omada Health. “These programs should help people achieve high-quality weight loss to properly support the long-term clinical impact of GLP-1s and the return-on-investment potential of GLP-1 treatment.”
Notably, even though more than a quarter of participants in the comparison group reported engaging in other wellness programs, the Omada group still showed stronger outcomes. It suggests that not all support systems are built with the same level of intention or effectiveness.
Now, let’s zoom out, and this is a story about how we define health over time. Longevity is about maintaining the capacity to move, think and function independently. Muscle mass, metabolic stability and mental resilience all sit at the core of that equation. Lose too much muscle during weight loss, and you may trade short-term progress for long-term vulnerability: slower metabolism, reduced strength and a higher risk of frailty.
What Omada’s study points to is a more integrated approach, one where medication is only part of the picture. Behavior, movement and human support fill in the gaps that drugs alone can’t reach. It’s a reminder that the future of longevity won’t be built on single interventions. It will come from layering them thoughtfully, so that when the body changes, it changes in the right direction.
