Semaglutide is the over-the-counter name for the brand name drug, Ozempic. Semaglutide has been making headlines for a recently discovered side effect that’s helping people to lose weight. This drug was created for patients with diabetes who needed help controlling their blood sugar. Controlling blood sugar is incredibly important for diabetic patients, as it’s directly correlated to the amount of insulin released in the body. But you don’t need to know all the details about diabetes to know the most exciting fact about semaglutide, which is its ability to help people to lose weight.
The Obesity Problem
The obesity problem in America has been building over the years. The CDC reports that between 1999 and 2020, the prevalence of obesity in the U.S. increased from 30.5% to 41.9%. Severe obesity prevalence rose from 4.7% to 9.2% during that same period.
Obesity is a major health concern because of its relationship to diabetes, stroke, heart disease, and some forms of cancer. In the same report, the CDC estimates the annual medical cost of obesity in 2019 was almost $173 billion.
These statistics help to clarify the reason that semaglutide’s side effect of weight loss is so exciting to everyone, including the general public and the government. In that regard, the FDA approved semaglutide for use as a weight loss drug in 2021. Since then, the wave of scientific and anecdotal evidence in support of this effect just keeps growing.
Semaglutide For More Than the Obese
The FDA approval does not specify who may be prescribed semaglutide for weight loss. It’s up to the discretion of licensed medical practitioners as to whom they treat with semaglutide. This is why so many individuals who are not technically obese are using semaglutide to lose weight. The use of this drug is not limited by the law to obese persons. However responsible medical practitioners will be sure to only prescribe it for weight loss when it makes medical sense to do so. In the meantime, semaglutide is still being successfully used by diabetics to manage their blood sugar levels.
This is also why you may be interested in trying semaglutide for your own weight loss goals. However, before you start any drug regimen, it’s important to conduct your own due diligence. That includes knowing how semaglutide works.
How Does Semaglutide Work?
It can get complicated trying to explain how semaglutide works, but it’s helpful to have a basic understanding anyway. This will help you to make an informed decision about whether or not you want to go ahead and try semaglutide or if you want to try losing weight by other means.
The first thing to know is that, in a normally functioning human body, a hormone is released in response to eating. That hormone is designed by nature to signal your brain that it’s time to stop eating. The hormone is colloquially called the satiety hormone because it lets the brain know when you’ve had enough. The brain then makes you realize that you’re full and you stop eating. This is what keeps people from eating themselves to death, literally.
Semaglutide is a synthetic drug, meaning that it was made in a lab. The scientific lab created semaglutide to mimic this natural hormone, called the GLP-1 hormone. The name stands for “glucagon-like peptide” and, as mentioned, this is naturally occurring in the body. So in short, semaglutide is a synthetic analog hormone. When you use semaglutide, you’re giving your body extra doses of a natural hormone, but in synthetic form. The drug works by telling your brain that you’re full, which tells you to put your fork down.
How to Know That Semaglutide is Working
Aside from the expected weight loss, you can know outwardly that semaglutide is working inwardly. According to reports from patients, the changes in your eating habits will be noticeable. Some people start noticing reduced hunger after just one week on semaglutide. For others, the signs may take longer. Individual results will vary, including how much weight loss a person may experience. But once the drug starts to really take effect, you will notice that you may no longer reach for seconds at the dinner table, no longer crave junk food in the afternoon, and no longer need a crunchy snack while you enjoy a movie before bedtime. Things like this may seem small, but over time, these little overeating bad habits add up to turn into a weight loss problem. With the use of Semaglutide, cravings can subside and hunger has a chance to become normalized.
Of course, this is an overly simplified explanation of how semaglutide works. This exciting, FDA-approved drug works through a complex interplay of hormonal mimicry, insulin regulation, appetite suppression, and metabolic improvements to exert its effects on weight loss and blood sugar control. When using it, you should be under the care of a professional medical practitioner. DuPage Medical Wellness health specialist is available to answer all your questions about this incredible drug and whether you should consider it for your weight loss goals. Contact Us today for more information.
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