Commentary: What if managing obesity isn’t just about sheer willpower?

NEW ENTREPRENEURS IN MEDICAL TREATMENT

Exercise, diet, behavioral assistance, and medication are no independent solutions in this paradigm, but they are components of a larger toolbox for more long-term outcomes. When properly prescribed as part of a systematic approach, weight loss medications may play a crucial role.

Semaglutide-containing new drugs have been referred to as “miracle medication.” Body weight decreased by 14.9 % over 68 weeks on average, according to one study, while that of another group lost by 24 % after 12 weeks.

In a clinical trial, newer medications like Zepbound, which use tirzepatide as the active ingredient, claimed weight loss of 20 % or more, placing them in the same category as the much more aggressive bariatric surgery.

The Health Sciences Authority ( HSA ) in Singapore approved semaglutides under the brand names Ozempic and Rybelsus in 2021 for Type 2 diabetes and Wegovy in 2023 for chronic weight management.

For the first time in the history of obesity therapy, this medication not merely helps people lose weight and eat less, but it also lowers the risk of feared complications like kidney and heart disorders and other serious illnesses.

These new remedies, of course, have some drawbacks. Semaglutide has been associated with, among others, dizziness, vomiting, bloating, pain, and stress. Additionally, there are instructions about an increased chance of pancreatitis, liver problems, and even suicidal thoughts ( although this has since been refuted ).