- The obesity rate in the US has skyrocketed over the past decade and is currently at an all-time high.
- Clinical trials with the drug semaglutide found that obese patients lost an average of 33 pounds in just over a year.
- The drug company Novo Nordisk has already applied for FDA approval to use the drug – currently used to combat type 2 diabetes – as an anti-obesity drug.
The obesity rate in America has skyrocketed in recent years, mainly because unhealthy eating habits and sedentary lifestyles are more common today than ever before. Consider this: The obesity rate in the US in 2021 is nearly 30% higher than in 2008. In addition, recent health data shows that a whopping 42% of all Americans are currently obese. Incidentally, 2020 was the first time that the percentage of overweight in the United States exceeded the 40% threshold. In light of the above, it is no surprise that heart disease remains the leading cause of all deaths in the US
While exercise and a healthy diet remain the best plan of attack in the fight against obesity, not everyone is able to absorb these lifestyle changes due to financial or health considerations. However, a new drug may be just the answer people are looking for.
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The drug in question is called semaglutide and is already being used as a treatment for type 2 diabetes. However, recent clinical studies show that administering a higher dose of the drug can help obese individuals lose weight.
According to a study recently published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the drug helped people lose an average of 15% of their body weight after 68 weeks. To put that in context, someone who is 300 pounds could lose more than 45 pounds in just over a year while on semaglutide. In addition, more than 33% of the study participants reported losing 20% of their body weight while taking the drug. The average amount of weight loss by study participants was about 34 pounds.
MedPageToday adds:
In addition to weight loss, semaglutide also improved cardiovascular risk factors, including greater reductions in waist circumference, BMI, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose, C-reactive protein, and fasting lipid levels, as well as physical function and quality of life scores.
“This is a major breakthrough for improving the health of obese people,” said University College London professor Rachel Batterham of the study. “No other drug has reached this level of weight loss – this is truly a game changer. For the first time, people can achieve with drugs what was only possible through weight-loss surgery. “
Researchers note that the improvements seen in patients on semaglutide are much greater than what the current anti-obesity drugs on the market offer. The medication schedule itself is not very heavy and requires a person to take a single pill only once a week.
In the aftermath of the successful clinical trial, drug company Novo Nordisk is currently seeking FDA approval to use the drug as a weight loss drug.
A lifelong Mac user and enthusiast, Yoni Heisler has been writing about Apple and the tech industry in general for over six years. His writing has appeared in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK and most recently in TUAW. When not writing about and analyzing the latest happenings with Apple, Yoni enjoys watching Improv shows in Chicago, playing football and cultivating new addiction to TV shows, most recently The Walking Dead and Broad City.