A drug called semaglutide has seen incredible results in trials to help people lose weight and could lead to a new approach to treating chronic obesity – if it can overcome the challenges.
For as long as Kimray Reinhardt can remember, she has been trying to lose weight. Keto and Paleo diets seem to work… for a while. But when the weight came off, her overeating and sugar cravings sabotaged her efforts. todaybignews
Reinhardt's battle to control his weight is frustrating, but also dangerous for the management consultant in Pittsboro, North Carolina. She has a family history of high cholesterol, asthma and breast cancer. Her weight increases her chances of dying from one of these risk factors.
Then, six months ago, a doctor gave him weekly injections of a new type of drug, and everything changed. She lost more than 27 kilograms and her body mass index (BMI) dropped from 41 – considered severely obese – to just above the threshold for obesity. The drug even changed his approach to food. Reinhardt is not interested in many of the unhealthy foods he used to love. "No more cravings for sugar and bread," she says.
The new drug, semaglutide, marketed in the US as Wegovi, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last year. For Reinhardt, it's finally been the boost she needed to lose the weight she's struggled with for decades. But for some in the medical profession, the hope is that the drug could revolutionize our fight against one of the world's most prevalent and deadly health problems. Not only can it help treat obesity in people who find it difficult to lose weight, but it can also be used to prevent the condition in the first place.
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