If you have any interest in diets and weight loss, chances are you have heard there’s a new weight loss drug on the market.
Indeed, over the past couple of years, there have been a range of semaglutide drugs released that have revolutionised the way individuals with impaired blood glucose levels are managed, with a handy side effect of weight loss courtesy of significantly reduced appetite.
It’s not all roses and sunshine though, and in my clinical experience, for every client who tries Ozempic or similar drugs to support weight loss, there is at least another person or two for whom these drugs do not work.
Appetite loss
The semaglutide range of pharmaceuticals, which include Ozempic and the recently-released Wegovy, are drugs that were developed for those with Type 2 diabetes, to help stimulate insulin action in the pancreas and aid blood glucose control.
Significant weight loss was an unexpected benefit, as users experienced a reduction in appetite thanks to the effect of the semaglutide, which mimics the role of a hormone in the body that tells it when it has had enough to eat.
Indeed, for those who regularly experience insatiable hunger, as a result of chronic over-consumption of calories and sweet foods, or due to hormonal issues such as insulin resistance, in which high insulin levels can drive the desire for sweet food, a drug like Ozempic can be extremely powerful to help significantly reduce calorie intake and support weight loss.
This is assuming users do reduce calorie intake in accordance with a reduction in appetite, although this is not always the reality.
Fat metabolism
Using Ozempic or similar drugs does not increase fat metabolism or result in weight loss unless you a) have a hormonal issue such as insulin resistance or b) dramatically reduce your calorie intake.
Even if you take Ozempic at a high dose, if you continue to eat more than you need, eat too high a proportion of processed, carbohydrate rich food and/or c) fail to move your body adequately, you will not see continual, sustained weight loss no matter how much Ozempic you take.
It is a tool to support appetite and hormonal control, and as such facilitate diet and exercise compliance, not a way to eat whatever you like and still lose weight.
Success rate
For every client I have seen who tried one of these new semaglutide drugs and achieved significant weight loss over six to 12 months, I have seen another two who have not succeeded, largely because their food choices remain too high in calories, and their overall activity levels too low.
While a few kilos may be lost initially, as less food is eaten thanks to the general feeling of nausea that can be associated with these drugs, in most cases the extra treats, restaurant meals and too many wines, along with not enough trips to the gym, mean the weight loss halts.
Calorie control
For the drugs to work optimally, the baseline calories need to be much lower so the hormone levels too can reduce over time. If you continue to eat for many other reasons than hunger, again the drugs cannot do their work.
And of course, as is the case with many drugs, there are some people for whom they do not work at all.
For the right individual, Ozempic and similar drugs are revolutionary – they directly target underlying hormonal dysfunction by targeting the pancreas to produce more insulin, and significantly reduce insatiable appetite.
Users will report feeling free of their obsessive thoughts of all things food and eating so they can finally follow a calorie-controlled diet and successfully lose weight.
Maintenance
Even when the new drugs do work to support weight loss, they should be considered a tool, not the entire solution.
Once you stop taking them, unless you maintain a lower carbohydrate and calorie diet long-term and maintain your exercise, you will gain back what you have lost and likely even more weight.
For this reason, using them at low levels to support appetite control, in conjunction with a long-term diet and exercise program, before slowly reducing the dose over time so you learn to maintain your weight, is key.
So, before you get yourself a script, make sure you are ready to get your diet and lifestyle in order – for good – or Ozempic will be part of yet another failed diet that was too good to be true.
Susie Burrell is a dietitian and nutritionist and holds a Master’s degree in coaching psychology. If you are considering losing weight then you should talk to your GP for advice.