A year-long observational study in Japan suggests that people with type 2 diabetes who tend to overeat in response to tempting food cues such as sight and smell may see greater weight loss—and possibly better blood-sugar improvement—after starting GLP-1 receptor agonists, while those with primarily emotional eating patterns show less consistent links to long-term outcomes.
Researchers in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, followed 92 adults with type 2 diabetes for 12 months after they started treatment with GLP-1 receptor agonists, including liraglutide, dulaglutide, and oral or injectable semaglutide.
Participants were evaluated at baseline, at three months, and at 12 months. Investigators tracked clinical measures including HbA1c, body weight, and body fat percentage, and assessed eating patterns using validated questionnaires, including the Japanese version of the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire.
Over the year, the study found significant reductions in HbA1c, body weight, and body fat percentage. Eating-behavior changes differed by pattern: external eating scores declined in a sustained way over 12 months, while emotional and restrained eating scores changed more temporarily.
In analyses of treatment response, higher baseline external eating scores were independently associated with greater weight loss and were linked to a trend toward improved glycemic outcomes. By contrast, baseline emotional and restrained eating scores were not significantly associated with clinical outcomes after one year.
The authors noted that the research was observational and relied in part on self-reported behavior, meaning it cannot establish cause and effect. They said larger studies, including randomized trials, would be needed before using eating-pattern screening routinely to guide treatment choices.
