Embarking on a weight loss journey can feel like riding a bumpy rollercoaster, with ups and downs that can be quite discouraging. When results are not realized, despite your best efforts, you may want to get off the ride or become desperate to try something… anything… to see a difference.
One of the earliest efforts to induce weight loss by incorporating substances into the treatment plan is credited to Soranus of Ephesus, an ancient Greek physician from the 2nd century CE. Our knowledge of Soranus’ activities mostly originates from interpretations made by Caelius Aurelianus in the 5th century. Both characterize obesity as a condition in which the body accumulates excess fat beyond what is necessary, considering it to be an “unsightly affliction,” reports the National Library of Medicine.
Progress to the present day, and we have a wide assortment of weight loss theories, supplements, and prescribed drugs to choose from.
It doesn’t take long to scroll through social media and find a company trying to sell pills or shots to help with weight loss, whether you are clinically obese or not. This in and of itself can be a danger for those who may abuse the drug, either by veering outside its purpose or not adhering to protocols.
With the boom in the popularity of such drugs, you don’t even have to go to a doctor’s office to receive a variety of weight loss prescriptions.
This is good news for those who experience white coat anxiety and do not want to exacerbate their feelings of shame by being judged by a doctor who may give blanket advice like “eat less, exercise more,” or try to push medications and shots due to incentives from pharmaceutical companies.
A systematic review published by Annals of Internal Medicine, primarily funded by the National Cancer Institute, disclosed, “The association between industry payments and physician prescribing was consistent across all studies that have evaluated this association. Findings regarding a temporal association and dose-response suggest a causal relationship.”
As such, people may wonder who they can trust to have their best interests in mind when it comes to promoting weight loss without harming their health or pushing an agenda.
In addition to unintended side effects and differences in weight loss outcomes among individuals, the expense of medications presents a significant obstacle to successful obesity treatment.
Weight loss treatments are frequently not included in insurance coverage. Wegovy (semaglutide), for example, a prescription medication for long-term weight management, is priced at approximately $1,350 for a 28-day supply. This implies that without insurance or manufacturer discounts, the medication could amount to over $16,000 per year, reported GoodRx.
However, the remarkable success of medications containing semaglutide has already demonstrated additional health advantages, such as reducing the likelihood of stroke and heart attacks while also delaying the advancement of kidney failure and enhancing pain relief in individuals with osteoarthritis, reported The Wall Street Journal.
Now, it appears the additional benefits of such drugs are casting an even wider net while offering a narrower waistline.
A recent study published by Addiction on October 17 revealed that medications like Wegovy and Ozempic, both containing the active ingredient semaglutide, may reduce drug and alcohol abuse by as much as 50%, reported the WSJ. The study also indicated that individuals using these medications had a 40% lower risk of opioid overdose compared to those who did not.
Ozempic stands firm, however, that it “is not a weight-loss drug.” The drug was approved by the FDA in 2017 to treat adults with type 2 diabetes but has not been approved as a weight loss drug.
Wegovy was approved by the FDA to treat chronic weight management in 2021.