Semaglutide – New Weight Loss Miracle Drug or Not?
There is a severe obesity crisis in the U.S. today. Over 40% of the American population is obese (BMI over 30), and the obesity rate has increased 10% in just the past 20 years. Because of our continuously expanding waistlines, there has been discussion about increasing the size of airline seats and a movement called HAES (Health At Every Size) has been gaining popularity. However, there is no denying that health issues commonly associated with obesity such as heart disease, diabetes, stroke and some cancers lead to premature and preventable deaths, as well as account for nearly $173 billion annually (in 2019 dollars) in healthcare costs.
Weight gain and obesity are multi-factorial, depending on genetics, hormones, diet, food quality, activity level, and stress to name a few. There have been countless diets, exercise plans, supplements, and even medications that promise weight loss but there have been no easy solutions, and many of us have found that while losing weight is hard, keeping it off is even harder. Stimulant medications like phentermine can reduce your appetite but can also cause heart issues and so can only be used short-term. However, there’s now a new weight loss medication that has quickly become extremely popular – semaglutide, or Wegovy.
What Is Semaglutide?
Semaglutide was originally and still is a medication for type 2 diabetes (known as Ozempic for the injectable form and Rybelsus for the oral form). Studies showed that not only did this medication help lower blood sugar in diabetics, but also caused weight loss. Would the drug have the same weight-reducing effects in those without diabetes without causing hypoglycemia (low blood sugar levels)? And excitingly, that was the case.
Semaglutide is a peptide, or small protein, that is injected subcutaneously once weekly. It works by reducing appetite. Typical side effects are nausea, constipation, diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Nausea is VERY common. Interestingly, I had a few patients report that they no longer drank as much alcohol because the medication kept them from feeling inebriated. Later, I came across some articles that this was a side effect noted in other patients and that now it is being researched to see if semaglutide can help alcoholics. Those who have or have had thyroid medullary cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasia 2 should not use semaglutide based on data from animal studies.
How Well Does Semaglutide Work?
In a randomized placebo-controlled conducted by Novo Nordisk, the drug’s manufacturer, almost 2000 adults were followed over a 68 week period. The study participants were either obese (BMI > 30) or overweight (BMI > 27) and the average starting weight was around 230 pounds. Over a 68 week period, those on semaglutide/Wegovy lost an average of 35 pounds or about 15% of their body weight, compared to 6 pounds or 2.5% of their body weight in the placebo group.
If you’re interested in learning more about Semaglutide, schedule an appointment with myself, Dr. Maiko Ochi, and we can explore if it’s the right fit for you.
Reference
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html