For decades, bariatric surgery stood as the most effective and durable intervention we had for severe obesity. And for patients who have struggled for years with diets that fail, or who dread the idea of surgery, GLP-1s are a welcome alternative. These are numbers that start to approach bariatric surgery, at least in the short term. Risks and RealitiesLike any medication, GLP-1s come with side effects. But it raises an uncomfortable truth: GLP-1s don’t solve the root problem.