How Wegovy Aids in Weight Loss: Understanding the Science

What is the active ingredient in Wegovy?

Wegovy contains an active ingredient called Semaglutide.

Semaglutide belongs to a group of medicines called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1 agonists for short. They also also known as GLP-1 analogues or incretin mimetics.

GLP-1 agonists like Semaglutide and Liraglutide are taken via injection. They are long-term treatments that promise results over months of use. They help to accelerate your weight loss by affecting your hunger levels and metabolism.

How does Wegovy help you lose weight?

Wegovy (Semaglutide) helps patients to lose weight in three different ways:

It suppresses your usual appetite

Your body naturally produces GLP-1 hormones (such as glucagon) in the small intestine. There hormones are responsible for sending your brain the signal that you are full.

The GLP-1 receptor agonists in Wegovy mimic these naturally occurring hormones by binding to the GLP-1 receptor hormones in the brain.

This results in increased feelings of fullness, even after consuming small portions of food. This makes it much easier to stay in a calorie deficit.

It slows down gastric emptying

Semaglutide also aids in weight loss by slowing down gastric emptying (the rate at which the stomach empties its contents into the small intestine).

By slowing down the movement of food from the stomach, you end up feeling much fuller for longer. This helps you to lose weight by reducing the frequency of your meals and snacks, meaning you eat fewer calories.

It regulates blood sugar levels

GLP-1 drugs like Semaglutide also lower your blood sugar levels. It does this by stimulating insulin production from the pancreas, which in turn reduces how much glucagon (stored sugar) is released back into the bloodstream.

When blood sugar levels are better controlled, you’re less likely to crave high-calorie, sugary foods which may be holding you back from your desired weight loss results.

Over time, your GLP-1 dose slowly increases. This gives your body plenty of time to adjust to the medicine and reduces the risk of Semaglutide side effects. Higher doses of these weight loss medications offer greater weight loss results.

Is Wegovy scientifically proven to work?

Semaglutide and other GLP-1 medications have been widely studied since they were released in the early 2000s.

The effectiveness of Wegovy can be found in the following study Trusted source The New England Journal of Medicine Peer-reviewed Journals Medical Research and Review Go to source , which was taken on just under 2000 people with a BMI of 30+. The study was conducted as a double-blind trial, meaning that neither the patients nor the doctors knew who was taking Semaglutide and who was taking the placebo.

The study took place over 68 weeks and explored the effects of a weekly Semaglutide dose on obese and overweight adults. Results found that:

• Patients taking Semaglutide had a mean change in body weight of -14.8%
• Patients taking the placebo had a mean change in body weight of -2.4%

In kilos, on average:

• The Semaglutide group lost 15.3 kg
• The placebo group lost 2.6 kg

Wegovy patients lost significantly more weight than those taking the placebo. In fact, over half of them lost 15% of their original body weight after 68 weeks.

How long does it take to lose weight with Wegovy?

Wegovy is not a quick fix. For weight loss to be healthy and sustainable it needs to be slow and steady.

No miracle cure will cause you to shed pounds overnight.

That being said, you’re likely to start noticing results after the first couple of months of treatment. You know your body best, so you’ll be the first to notice that your clothes are slightly looser or that parts of your body have decreased in size.

More significant weight loss takes place when you’ve been on treatment for at least 6 months. This is due to:

• Staying in a calorie deficit for a prolonged amount of time
• Reaching a higher Semaglutide dose

Once you reach the maximum maintenance dose, you’ll notice that you’re progressing faster than ever towards better health.

Your guide to Wegovy for long-term weight loss

Is Wegovy the right choice for you?

People who can take Wegovy should realise that, while it’s an effective tool for aiding in weight loss, it isn’t necessary. Many people can successfully lose weight without having to use weight loss medications.

However, for people who are at a high risk of health problems due to their weight, Wegovy can be beneficial in helping you shed the pounds. It can only be prescribed if you’ve already tried losing weight through diet and exercise alone.

Things to consider before taking wegovy
	BMI Must be 30+ (or 27+ if you have weight-related conditions)
	Long-term Wegovy is not a quick-fix. You’ll need to be patient and trust the process.
	Injections Wegovy has to be self-injected
	Side effects You’ll need to be prepared for side effects like nausea
	Last resort Have you tried losing weight through diet and exercises alone?
	Diet You’ll have to ditch life-long habits and learn how to make better food choices
	Exercise You’ll need to be more active on a weekly basis

Things to bear in mind before starting Wegovy (or any other weight loss medication):

• It’s only suitable for people with a BMI of 30 or above (or a BMI of 27+ if you already have weight-related health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure).
• It’s a long-term treatment that requires patience. Wegovy is not a miracle ‘cure’ that will cause you to shed pounds overnight. Most patients will stay on Wegovy for up to a year.
• It has to be self-injected once per week, which may not be suitable for those who are afraid of needles.
• It’s likely to cause side effects, especially when you start treatment and when the dose increases.
• It must be combined with a change to your diet and exercise habits. You must be eager to learn about nutrition and maintaining a balanced diet. You will also require enough willpower to ditch bad eating habits that have likely existed for most of your life.

Ultimately, you’ll need to be prepared to make changes to your lifestyle to sustain the weight loss caused by Wegovy.