According to the World Health Organization (WHO), overweight and obesity are defined as “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a health risk. A body mass index (BMI) over 25 is considered overweight, and over 30 is obese.”1 The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention cites poor diet and low physical activity levels as risk factors for obesity, affecting approximately 42% of adults and 20% of children.2
The prevalence of obesity is climbing in segments of the population and areas of the world in which it has not previously been a concern, including a fourfold increase in obesity rates in children since the mid-1970’s.1 The current approach to weight loss by medical providers focuses initially on treating underlying causes and then on optimizing lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise.
Surgical options for treating obesity have been around for decades (eg. Gastric bypass, gastric sleeve). In recent years, the pharmaceutical industry has introduced a number of medications that have been proven effective at reducing weight compared to placebo. There are two glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists that have been approved for the treatment of obesity in the United States: semaglutide and liraglutide. Both of these medications are injectable. The brand names for semaglutide include: Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy. The brand names for liraglutide include: Saxenda and Victoza.
These medications work by allowing your body to use insulin more effectively, slowing down your digestion, and by acting on areas of the brain involved in managing your appetite.3 Insulin is a hormone that allows your cells to use the glucose from your food. One diagnosis commonly associated with obesity is type 2 Diabetes. In type 2 Diabetes, your body becomes less able to make insulin and less responsive to the insulin it does make. This makes it difficult for all your body’s cells to function properly. The GLP-1 agonists can be used as a treatment option…
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