GLP-1s, Menopause & the Future of Obesity Treatment with Donal O'Shea

🎧 Episode Description

Donal O’Shea has spent a lifetime working at the sharp end of endocrinology- and in this conversation, he brings that perspective with clarity and honesty. Laura and Donal explore how dramatically medicine has changed, from early diabetes care rooted in fear and compliance to modern treatments that prioritise quality of life and long-term health.

The discussion moves through hormones, obesity, and the rise of GLP-1 medications, examining how new treatments exposed long-held misconceptions about appetite, behaviour, and responsibility. Along the way, they confront stigma, access to care, and the cultural tendency to reduce complex conditions to willpower. Thoughtful and grounded, this episode invites a more humane way of thinking about health- one led by evidence, humility, and compassion.

🔑 Key Points

How diabetes care used to work - and why it didn’t

Donal reflects on fear-based approaches from earlier in his career and contrasts them with today’s technology-driven, compassionate care.

Hormones quietly run the show

The episode unpacks how chemical messengers regulate appetite, mood, energy, and long-term health.

GLP-1s changed more than blood sugar

Originally developed for diabetes, these treatments revealed unexpected effects on appetite and behaviour.

Why “eat less, move more” falls short

Obesity is explored as a biologically regulated, chronic condition rather than a failure of willpower.

When medicine collides with culture

Laura and Donal discuss how effective treatments risk being misunderstood in a thinness-obsessed world.

Access isn’t equal

Cost and prescribing rules shape who receives care and who is left behind.

Weight loss doesn’t erase identity

The psychological impact of changing bodies is often overlooked.

📚 Mentioned in this Episode

OSheaHoganLabs - Donal’s educational presence on TikTok and Instagram addressing medical misinformation

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 - A lifetime inside changing medicine

04:10 - Diabetes before technology

07:30 - Why fear was never good healthcare

12:00 - GLP-1 and a shift in understanding obesity

17:45 - Appetite, behaviour, and biology

23:30 - Stigma, thinness, and misuse of treatment

30:15 - Identity after weight change

36:40 - Menopause, hormones, and long-term thinking

43:20 - Battling misinformation online

50:00 - Who gets treatment - and who doesn’t

57:00 - Looking to the next generation

Thanks for listening! You can watch the full episode on YouTube here. Don’t forget to follow The Laura Dowling Experience podcast on Instagram @lauradowlingexperience for updates and more information. You can also follow our host, Laura Dowling, @fabulouspharmacist for more insights and tips. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and leave a review—it really helps us out! Stay tuned for more great conversations.

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