A drug that is often prescribed for type 2 diabetes is being touted as a weight loss treatment. Ozempic, the injectable medication used to manage blood sugar levels in diabetic patients could also promote weight loss. Influencers and celebrities alike have been promoting the drug on TikTok as a medication for controlling weight.
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Ozempic
A side effect of taking this medication is weight loss. Celebrities like the new owner of Twitter, Elon Musk attributes his recent weight transformation to fasting and the drug Wegovy, a drug similar to Ozempic. The hashtag #ozempic has been trending on TikTok garnering over 250 million views so far. Dr. Sultan Linjawi, an endocrine and diabetes specialist, told Newsweek:
These agents are incredibly effective. Clinical trials of these drugs have demonstrated really phenomenal diabetes improvements and typically, depending on the drug, 3 to 6 kilograms in weight loss in the context of the clinical trial.
When taken alongside a dedicated weight loss program and a calorie-restricted diet, these drugs could help patients lose between 20 and 100 pounds.
Drug for weight loss
These drugs work by mimicking two hormones that help people feel full after eating. They do this by activating blood sugar receptors in the body. According to Linjawi, these are based on naturally occurring human chemicals called GLP-1 molecules.
These hormones effectively do three things: They're released by us humans when we eat to increase insulin release, they reduce the amount of glucose that the liver produces, and they tell us we are full.
Obese people are often less sensitive to the hormones that make them feel full. Drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy can restore these feelings of fullness by slowing down the rate at which the stomach empties.
Sources used:
News Week: People Are Using a Diabetes Drug for Weight Loss and It Seems to Be Working
Medical News Today: Weight loss injection could help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by 60%
