Can GLP-1 drugs help people stop throwing away their money?

A growing body of research suggests GLP-1 drugs can do more than just help people lose weight by curbing addictive behaviors. Now, experts at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania want to see whether the drugs can benefit people's bank accounts by reducing risky financial decisions, such as gambling or compulsive shopping. 

"We believe GLP-1s will ultimately lead to some structural remodeling of the brain, which is where some of those long-term impacts on food choice could show up, but also on financial decision-making," Michael Platt, a neuroscientist and professor at Wharton, told CBS News.

"It might be very good financially for the average person — maybe they're putting more money into savings," he added.

In a first-of-its-kind study, Platt and his fellow researchers will examine how GLP-1s influence the body's reward system, a network of brain structures that reinforces certain behaviors, to see whether the drugs suppress temptations such as luxury purchases, gambling or other activities that people often find hard to control. 

If that proves true, GLP-1s could help Americans resist risky financial decisions and potentially develop better spending and saving habits, Platt said. 

Risks and rewards

The body's reward system "underlies all consumption decisions," he explained. The researchers posit that GLP-1s could make people more responsible decision-makers through a simple injection, a habit that might otherwise take years to cultivate on their own, Platt said. That hypothesis stems from earlier research by Geoff Cook, the CEO of Noom, a digital health company that is funding the Wharton study.

"There is anecdotal speculation in high-risk professions that dampening reward drive might also dampen appetite for risk and very high returns," Platt said in an overview of the Wharton study, referring to professions such as stock trading. "At the other end of the spectrum, the same shift could potentially help ordinary consumers resist impulsive spending and favor longer-term financial goals."

A 2026 Northwestern Mutual study found that 73% of Americans actively participated in, or considered pursuing, highly speculative activities like sports betting and investing in cryptocurrencies because they believed these methods were more effective at achieving their financial goals than conventional, less risky methods, such as investing in index funds.

How spending lights up your brain

The Wharton team plans to recruit about 180 participants for the study, which will run from mid-October through around March 2027 at the University of Pennsylvania's MindCORE research lab. 

Researchers will ask participants basic questions about their demographic background, mental health and GLP-1 use, if applicable, and also to complete a short cognitive exercise. The research subjects will then undergo magnetic resonance imaging while performing four tasks — two focused on food and two on financial decisions. 

Scientists will monitor MRI activity for clues about how their brains' reward systems — which process value, reward and decision-making and involve neurotransmitters such as dopamine — respond to that stimulus. 

For the first financial task, participants will be shown a series of 14 images of products, services, experiences and spending opportunities such as the Powerball jackpot. The technique, called passive viewing, helps researchers monitor people's spontaneous brain responses to certain images without asking them to take any action. The Wharton researchers said they will avoid showing images featuring recognizable brands or logos to ensure that the person's neural response is not skewed by brand familiarity or preference.

"The passive financial task allows us to compare responses to practical, need-based purchases versus more discretionary and enjoyment-oriented rewards," the researchers wrote in laying out the study.

Can GLP-1s change your need for immediate gratification?

During the second phase of the study, participants will be asked to make a financial decision and indicate their response by pressing a button on the MRI machine. For example, would they prefer $20 now or $50 in two months?

"It's a trade-off between immediate gratification and getting something that you might know is actually of higher value, but you'd have to wait for it," Platt told CBS News.

The MRI scan will show changes in blood flow and oxygen levels that indicate which parts of the brain are being activated and how participants value certain financial options in the study compared to others.

"One of our main questions concerns subjective value, meaning how desirable a food or financial option is to a particular person, and whether this valuation differs with GLP-1 use," other researchers involved in the study told CBS News in an email.

After the MRI, the participants will have to follow through on one of the decisions they made during the study. For example, if they said they would rather receive $50 in two months than $20 immediately, they would receive a $50 payment at that later date.

"That ensures that you are being honest and blind with your preferences," Platt said. "You will have to face the consequences of your decision."