Will this be able to curb obesity among people?
What is obesity? Simply put, obesity is the product of a body’s energy output being less than its energy input. But in reality, it’s a lot more complex and scientists weren’t really able to bring major changes to it until now.
In the recent decades, obesity has been reaching higher levels, and around 40% of Americans are suffering the consequences of it. Aside from being difficult to endure, it’s also hard to treat. Aside from making drastic changes to your lifestyle, such as healthy eating and regular exercise. For those who are not able to do this, bariatric surgery and weight-loss medications are available.
The new medicine
Bariatric surgery comes with a fair share of risks, and the drugs won’t always work and have known to cause side effects too.
But a recent study is showing promise. The study involved almost 2000 obese adults from 16 countries who took a weekly dose of a drug called semaglutide, an existing medication known for treating type 2 diabetes.
The results were extraordinary. After 68 weeks of treatment with the drug, over 30 percent of the group lost more than 20 percent of their body weight. The drug suppresses appetite due to a variety of effects on the brain.
It’s usage
The drug is already twice as effective than existing weight loss medications. This can make people opt out surgery. Aside from losing weight, the participants also showed improvements in other areas, such as reductions in certain cardiometabolic risk factors, and an overall improvement in their life.
But side effects did occur in some participants, such as nausea and diarrhea, causing them to discontinue.
Currently, the drug requires a weekly injection inorder to work, but an oral form is preferred by patients. More tests are still being conducted inorder to finalise it’s capability.
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