A New Miracle Weight-Loss Drug?
Dr. IV Mirus: Ozempic, a drug used to treat diabetes, keeps gaining attention as celebrities and TikTok influencers have described taking it to lose weight in a short time. This generic name is Semaglutide but most know the brand name Ozempic or Wegovy. What are these medications and how do they work?
First, we need to understand the fundamentals of weight loss. It all comes down to calories. Specifically, how many calories you're taking in versus how many you're burning. Our bodies take this energy from the food we eat and store it as fat for the future in case we need emergency energy in times when there is no food available. We would be able to use the fat as energy. Fat is stored energy.
If we want to lose weight, we must do either one of two things. Decrease the amount you eat, and decrease the calories that you consume. Or we can increase the amount of calories we burn. This is a fundamental rule of weight loss.
So how does Ozempic or Wegovy work? The medication mimics the action of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1, which is naturally produced by the body. This hormone helps regulate blood sugar levels and reduces appetite by making you feel full. When the medicine is injected once a week, it leads to a reduction in appetite and an increase in the feeling of fullness.
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Originally, this medication is used for those with diabetes to help people control their blood sugar and helps them to reduce their eating, but now many people are using this off-label, meaning they are using the medication for a different purpose than intended. In this case, for weight loss in people without diabetes. This is creating a shortage for those who need medication for diabetes. Pharmaceutical companies are attempting to create more to meet the demand.
While the medication does work to create weight loss, just like any diet fad, once the medication is stopped, many individuals found they regained at least some of the weight back. There are also side effects such as nausea and diarrhea.
The best strategy for long-term health benefits is to make small, lifelong changes in your overall diet and activity. However, everyone is different and some methods for weight loss might not work for some but can work for others. It is always best to work with your physician to create a weight-loss strategy that is tailored for you.