Weight loss has long been a booming industry in the UAE, from gastric surgeries and liposuction to quick-fix crash diets. Now, a new wave of weight loss drugs is changing how residents are shedding kilos. But doctors are warning that while these injections may help with weight loss, much of it could be muscle rather than fat.
Medical professionals have seen a sharp rise in the use of GLP-1 weight loss injections, with over 1,600 people signing up through virtual healthcare platforms in recent months. The results look promising on the surface. “We have seen a 100 per cent success rate in terms of weight loss,” said Keswin Suresh, co-founder of DarDoc. Patients typically pay around Dh149 per month for the programme.
However, Suresh cautioned that the treatment is not without risks. “Up to 40 per cent of the weight lost with these drugs could be muscle mass if patients don’t include strength training and eat sufficient protein — ideally one gram of protein per kilogram of body weight,” he explained. To address this, DarDoc combines prescriptions with diet and fitness support.
Specialists at GluCare have also raised similar concerns. Using wearable devices and digital coaching tools, their focus is shifting away from simply reducing body weight to preserving lean muscle mass. “We track the fat-to-muscle ratio every few weeks,” said Dr Yousef Said, GluCare’s medical director. “Sometimes patients see the number on the scale go down, but it’s mostly muscle that’s been lost, which is not a healthy outcome. Our goal is to ensure weight loss comes from fat, not muscle.
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