The diabetic drug Ozempic recently vaulted into the public interest. Searches for #Ozempic have generated more than 350 million views on TikTok – not for the drug’s ability to moderate insulin in diabetics, but because of the once-weekly injection’s notable side effect: weight loss.
Ozempic is the brand name of semaglutide, just one of many in a drug class known as incretins. A higher dose of semaglutide, Wegovy, also started trending when Tesla founder Elon Musk said the once-weekly injectable was his secret weapon for looking “fit, ripped, and healthy.”
Multiple studies show clear evidence that regular exercise can help achieve overall fitness, better cardiovascular health and improved mental health. I also previously wrote in this column how getting your daily 7,000-10,000 steps in could also reduce your risk of dying. And another new study found that those who lift weights just 1-2 times per week had a 9% reduced risk of dying from all causes (except for cancer).
However, when it comes to weight loss, exercise alone is not that effective.
And over the last two decades, the prevalence of obesity in the United States has increased from 30.5% to 41.9%. Obesity is a chronic medical condition – not a lifestyle choice that people should be shamed for.
And an effective weight-loss treatment would be a game-changer for millions of Americans suffering from obesity. This is one instance where physicians are equally excited about a treatment that has gone viral.
Are you getting your daily steps in? Walking could save your life.
Should you exercise first thing in the morning or at night?Here’s what research says.
Ozempic, Mounjaro and weight loss
Tirzepatide, brand name Mounjaro, is another incretin that recently was approved by the FDA in May 2022 as a diabetes medication.
Incretins work by regulating the amount of insulin that is secreted in diabetics after eating.
But interestingly, during research trials, scientist noted that participants had two major side effects: early satiety and delayed gastric emptying. Satiety means that recipients of the medication felt fuller faster. And delayed gastric emptying means that digested food moved more slowly from the stomach through …….