At the University of Pennsylvania, scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the fight against obesity.
They studied semaglutide, a medication known for treating type 2 diabetes, under the brand names Wegovy and Ozempic, among others. Their findings show that semaglutide can also lead to significant weight loss, marking a major step forward in weight management.
Understanding Obesity and Semaglutide
Obesity is a huge problem, affecting over 40% of American adults. It’s linked to many health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, and joint problems. Finding effective treatments is critical, and that’s where semaglutide comes in.
The Study’s Design and Findings
The study, which lasted 68 weeks and was carried out across 41 sites in the US from August 2018 to April 2020, aimed to maximize weight loss using semaglutide. It combined the drug with an intensive diet and exercise program.
All participants, starting with an average weight of 233 pounds and a body mass index of 38 kg/m^2, were involved in 30 sessions of intensive behavioral therapy. This included diet and physical activity counseling, along with an 8-week meal-replacement diet of about 1000-1200 calories per day.
Those on semaglutide received a weekly dose of 2.4 mg. The results were striking: the semaglutide group lost an average of 16% of their body weight, around 37 pounds, compared to just 5.7%, or 14 pounds, in the placebo group.
Additionally, 75% of those on semaglutide lost 10% or more of their body weight, significantly higher than the 27% in the placebo group.
Health Benefits Beyond Weight Loss
The weight loss achieved with semaglutide was associated with improvements in several heart-metabolic risk factors, such as waist circumference, blood pressure, hemoglobin A1c, and triglyceride levels. This suggests that semaglutide can not only help with weight loss but also reduce the risk of diabetes and heart disease.
The substantial weight loss might also help prevent and treat obesity-related conditions like osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
Side Effects
Though highly effective, 83% of participants taking semaglutide reported gastrointestinal side effects, including nausea and diarrhea. However, these were mostly mild to moderate and improved over time, without needing to stop the medication.
Conclusion
This study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is a game-changer. It shows that semaglutide, combined with diet and exercise, can lead to significant weight loss and improve various health markers.
For those struggling with weight loss, this discovery offers new hope and highlights the importance of a comprehensive approach that includes medication, diet, and lifestyle changes. It’s a promising step forward in managing obesity and its associated health risks.
If you care about diabetes, please read studies that eating more eggs is linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, and how to eat to reduce heart disease death risk if you have diabetes.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies about high-protein diets linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, and results showing Mediterranean diet could help reduce the diabetes risk by one-third.
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