BMI

• 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.

• When they applied their patented mathematical method to data obtained from continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), scientists found about one in five study participants, considered healthy by medical standards, actually had glucose metabolism similar to those with prediabetes.
• Participants were diagnosed diabetic, pre-diabetic, or healthy, according to guidelines outlined by the American Diabetes Association.
• After applying the mathematical model, patients were then re-classified into two groups based on their glucose homeostasis parameters: effective or impaired.
• About 34 million people have diabetes in the U.S. and one in three Americans have prediabetes or diabetes.

• You may have seen some guidance issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) regarding the long-term benefits of using non-sugar sweeteners.
• Let me clarify what the World Health Organization (WHO) actually said and what conclusions can be taken from it.
• Suggesting that sweeteners like Splenda cannot have long-term benefits is a disservice to healthcare providers, their patients, and all consumers.
• The WHO does say that in the short-term using low- and no-calorie sweeteners have a benefit on weight loss.

• With its strong presence in the Library sector and scores of clients, BMI made its first appearance at the Tennessee Library Association Conference.
• SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 17, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- BMI Imaging Systems, Inc. recently attended and exhibited at the Tennessee Library Association (TLA) conference in Memphis, TN.
• Being involved in the library and newsprint archiving business since the 1960s, checking out a conference that its team had not previously attended was an easy decision to make.
• Will Whitney, Head of Sales and Marketing, says that "We're always looking for ways to interact with existing and future clients.