Study Overview
GLP-1/GIP medications are rapidly scaling into widespread population use, yet one critical behavioral pathway through which they operate, diet, remains entirely unmeasured in existing population-level data. Whether real world users simply eat less, change dietary composition, or shift toward or away from dietary guidelines is unknown. This distinction matters: weight loss with preserved diet quality has fundamentally different long-term consequences than weight loss with nutritional inadequacy, particularly given concerns about muscle loss, bone density reduction, and frailty. Dietary behavior is entirely unobservable in claims data and uncaptured in existing population surveys. We have built a nationally representative longitudinal research platform within the Understanding America Study (UAS) that tracks GLP-1/GIP use in real time, paired for a large subsample with continuous biometrics from Fitbit devices and real-time glucose data from continuous glucose monitors. This pilot deploys an already-validated dietary recall tool across three monthly waves in UAS, optimizing administration timing, recall frequency, and incentive structures to maximize response rates among GLP-1/GIP users. The resulting dietary data can be directly linked to existing UAS data on metabolic, cognitive, and economic outcomes.
Study Results
Pending