{"id":6457,"date":"2023-06-13T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-06-13T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/?p=6457"},"modified":"2023-06-02T07:37:34","modified_gmt":"2023-06-02T07:37:34","slug":"drugs-that-melt-away-pounds-still-present-more-questions-than-answers-but-ozempic-wegovy-and-mounjaro-could-be-key-tools-in-reducing-the-obesity-epidemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/modernsciences.org\/staging\/4414\/drugs-that-melt-away-pounds-still-present-more-questions-than-answers-but-ozempic-wegovy-and-mounjaro-could-be-key-tools-in-reducing-the-obesity-epidemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Drugs that melt away pounds still present more questions than answers, but Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro could be key tools in reducing the obesity epidemic"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n Despite the promise of drugs that can help people shed pounds, healthy lifestyle choices are still key to overall health.\n Zing Images \/ DigitalVision via Getty Images<\/a><\/span>\n <\/figcaption>\n <\/figure>\n\nWesley Dudgeon<\/a>, College of Charleston<\/a><\/em><\/span>\n\n

In the past five years, several new drugs have been brought to market that could lead to a profound, if not revolutionary, change in how health care providers \u2013 and the public \u2013 view weight loss. <\/p>\n\n

Three drugs in particular \u2013 sold under the brand names Wegovy<\/a>, Ozempic<\/a> and Mounjaro<\/a> \u2013 have shown remarkable effects<\/a> on weight loss in clinical trials. <\/p>\n\n

While Wegovy is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for weight loss, the other two medications are only approved as treatment for type 2 diabetes, though they do also contribute to significant weight loss. This has led to increased demand for these drugs, causing a shortage of Ozempic<\/a> and Mounjaro<\/a> in early 2023 that threatened the availability of these drugs for diabetes patients. <\/p>\n\n

Globally, more than 650 million people are obese<\/a>, and by 2030, an estimated 1 billion adults will be obese. This makes obesity the most prevalent chronic disease in the world. <\/p>\n\n

As an exercise science scholar<\/a>, I have spent more than 15 years studying the effects of diet and exercise on the human body, primarily focused on body composition changes such as gaining skeletal muscle or losing body fat, or both. In my lectures, I present data on the detrimental impacts on personal health of being overweight or obese. Then I show that, aside from surgical intervention, the best way to lower body fat is with starting an exercise program and improving dietary habits. <\/p>\n\n

These new drugs have now altered what I teach in the classroom, and as a researcher I believe they raise many questions about the current approach to weight management and health. While these medications hold promise, they are not wonder drugs. In my view, they warrant much more research before they become the basis for a new weight management protocol. <\/p>\n\n

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