Wegovy
Obesity is complex, and is becoming widely recognised as a lifelong, chronic, relapsing disease. We can get better at management, but we haven’t found a cure, Wegovy included - Jason Halford
image by: Weight Loss Centre
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It may be the most effective anti-obesity drug yet – but even Wegovy is no ‘wonder cure’
These drugs are so effective because they address one of the many complex causes of obesity. When we eat, our bodies usually release “satiety hormones” to make us feel full. But in people living with obesity this doesn’t always happen, which can result in uncontrolled hunger and a heightened responsiveness to food. Prolonged restriction of food – also known as dieting, something most people living with obesity will face pressure to do – can further weaken that satiety hormone response. Wegovy contains the satiety hormone GLP1, which steps in where the body’s hormones may have failed, boosting sensations of fullness, suppressing reward-driven eating and increasing feelings of control.
However,…
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An Oral Version of Wegovy Appears as Effective as the Injectable Version
An oral version of semaglutide, the drug marketed as injectables Ozempic and Wegovy, causes substantial weight loss in people with obesity and overweight, according to data shared by drugmaker Novo Nordisk last week.1 While not yet approved squarely for a weight loss indication, a prescription pill or tablet may soon be a viable option for treating obesity.
Stopping Ozempic or Wegovy? A dietitian explains how to keep the weight off
Can't keep taking GLP-1 agonists due to cost or side effects? A dietitian shares a five tips to avoid weight gain.
Taking diet drug Wegovy for a year comes with a major added benefit, study finds
The study took place in the real world rather than a clinical trial, meaning there was no control group, so researchers couldn’t say for sure whether the improvement was due to Wegovy, known generically as semaglutide, or whether other factors could have been at play. But the outcome is a positive sign as doctors await results from a larger, more rigorous trial being run by Novo, Acosta said in an interview.
Teens Are Taking Wegovy for Weight Loss. But Doctors Have a Lot to Learn
Wegovy—an injected semaglutide medication, like its even buzzier sibling Ozempic—slows digestion and mimics a hormone that regulates appetite, leading people who take the drug to eat far less than before they started taking it. For some people, the idea of putting still-growing kids on an appetite-suppressing drug, potentially for life, raised alarm bells about physical and psychological long-term effects.
Wegovy works. But here's what happens if you can't afford to keep taking the drug
The rebound weight gain is not a surprise given how the medication works. Wegovy's active ingredient — semaglutide — is a GLP-1, or glucagon-like peptide-1, which mimics the GLP-1 satiety hormone in our bodies. When we eat, GLP-1 is released from our intestines and sends signals to our brain centers that control appetite. "This hormone is telling your brain, I'm full, I don't need to eat anymore," explains Dr. Robert Kushner of Northwestern University, who treats Yolanda Hamilton. Kushner also serves on a Novo Nordisk medical advisory board, for which he receives an honorarium.
Wegovy: what you need to know about this weight loss drug
The future of weight loss therapy looks bright, but in the end changes to diet and lifestyle will always need to be a significant component of any weight-loss attempt. But semaglutide may well be the kickstart to that weight loss journey that many people need.
Why You Might Not Be Able to Start Taking Wegovy
By temporarily reducing shipments of lower dose-strength Wegovy, the company would safeguard “continuity of care” for current patients, a Novo Nordisk spokeswoman said.
It may be the most effective anti-obesity drug yet – but even Wegovy is no ‘wonder cure’
I’ve seen all kinds of “wonder cures” come and go. Some were withdrawn due to serious side-effects; most have had only a relatively modest effect on people’s body mass. But now a new generation of medications has arrived, based on a better understanding of the biological underpinnings of obesity. While previous pharmaceutical treatments resulted in weight loss of 5-10%, clinical trials of this new wave of drugs are reporting initial weight loss of 15-20%.
Wegovy
WEGOVY® (semaglutide) injection 2.4 mg is an injectable prescription medicine that may help adults and children aged ≥12 years with obesity (BMI ≥30 for adults, BMI ≥ 95th percentile for age and sex for children), or some adults with excess weight (BMI ≥27) (overweight) who also have weight-related medical problems to help them lose weight and keep it off.
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