Semaglutide Medicine Discovered to Contribute in Significant Weight Loss for Adults with Obesity

Semaglutide as a medicinal drug for obese adults was discovered by scientists to help in weight loss as part of new experimental research.

The study, for the first time, highlighted that medicine alone Is capable of such a feat.

However, a healthy lifestyle is still fundamental in spite of the new discovery.

Medicine and Lifestyle

(Photo : ANDRES LARROVERE/AFP via Getty Images)

The research was published in the journal The New England Journal of Medicine on March 18, and it acknowledged that obesity is a global health problem, leading to various types of diseases, such as insulin resistance, hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, as well as frequent hospitalizations.

With only a few pharmacological alternatives, the research considered that lifestyle changes alone are challenging but accompanying it a drug has made all the difference during the clinical trial.

Scientists of the research enrolled 1,961 adults with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30 and have been classified as obese.

The subjects were part of a double-blind trial and were divided into two groups: the semaglutide group and the placebo group.

As a neutralizing factor, both groups have no recorded diagnosis of diabetes. They were also given a lifestyle intervention to help them in their physical activity, calorie reduction, and other measures to help them lose weight.

However, there is a difference when it comes to the issuance of medicine for obesity.

The semaglutide group received a once-weekly treatment of the semaglutide for 68 weeks, while the placebo group was given a fake yet harmless pill for the purposes of psychological motivation for the subjects with the same trial period.

As a result, adults in the semaglutide group achieved more weight loss than the other group.

Also Read: Eating White Bread Increases Obesity Risk

Obesity

Obesity is a state of health where the fat accumulation is significantly greater than normal based on an individual's age, sex, and body size.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), obesity has already reached epidemic proportions worldwide with over 2.8 million people dying each year.

Since 1975, obesity across the globe has tripled. In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults were overweight; 650 million of them were obese.

The WHO observed that obesity was once thought to be a manifestation of high-income or first-world countries.

Nevertheless, it is already present in low-income to middle-income nations, also called developing countries.

BMI

The WHO put emphasis that BMI is the most useful measurement to determine whether a person is a normal weight, overweight, or obese.

The following BMI categories and analogies are the following:

•  A BMI equal to or greater than 30 means a person is obese
•  A BMI of 25 or greater is overweight
•  A person with a BMI equal to or less than 24.9 has a normal weight

Complications and Death

The health complications of obesity arise from a chain reaction from potential non-communicable diseases due to the increased vulnerability of a person in his or her current state of being obese.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), conditions related to obesity include heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer.

Still, complications or premature death from obesity can still be prevented, says the CDC.

Related Article: It's All in the Genes: Obesity Can Be Inherited From Parents