Drugs that melt away pounds still present more questions than answers, but Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro could be key tools in reducing the obesity epidemic

• Three drugs in particular – sold under the brand names Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro – have shown remarkable effects on weight loss in clinical trials.
• Globally, more than 650 million people are obese, and by 2030, an estimated 1 billion adults will be obese.
• In my view, they warrant much more research before they become the basis for a new weight management protocol.

How these drugs work

• Prolonged elevated blood sugar, if left untreated, can lead to heart disease, vision loss and even death.
• At the same time, semaglutides also reduce the release of the hormone glucagon, which works opposite of insulin to increase blood sugar.
• In non-diabetics, these two hormones work together to maintain normal blood sugar levels.
• This dual-hormone action works to not only lower blood sugar levels and increase insulin sensitivity, but also slows the digestive system and decreases appetite.

Staggering results

• Over 80% of participants lost more than 5% of their body weight, with the most common side effects being nausea, diarrhea, vomiting and constipation.
• In April 2023, the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly released the results of the second phase 3 clinical trial of Mounjaro.
• The results were, quite frankly, amazing: Compared to a placebo, the 938 obese or overweight adults with type 2 diabetes lost more than 34 pounds, or roughly 15% of their body weight, with no required fitness and nutrition program.

Costs of obesity

• The WHO defines obesity as when an adult or child has a body mass index, or BMI, over 30; a BMI over 25 is considered overweight.
• In fact, obesity is responsible for nearly half of the total cost of chronic disease in the U.S. Studies show that obesity also leads to a decrease in life expectancy.
• Recent data suggests that the direct medical costs of a person being obese in the U.S. is more than US$2,500 annually.
• Predictions show the annual cost of obesity will be more than $4.3 trillion worldwide by 2030.
• Since most Americans can’t afford these drugs, it’s reasonable to ask whether more should be done to decrease costs and increase access.

The age-old benefits of exercise and a healthy diet

• Research has long since established that being physically active improves mental health, including memory, depressive symptoms and mood, as well as immune function and bone health.
• Being active also reduces the risks of developing conditions like heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some cancers.
• The health care field now has a new strategy for meaningful weight loss, but there are still more questions than answers.
• Researchers are also just beginning to understand what happens when you stop using these new weight loss medications.