Musk credits diabetes drug for weight loss Photograph:( Reuters )
Wegovy, an injectable drug, Ozempic and several other diabetic drugs have been going viral on social media for their ability to help you lose weight. While their primary ability is to moderate insulin in diabetics, weight loss is a side effect.
When Elon Musk tweets, everyone takes notice. Be it about his Twitter deal, cryptocurrencies, or the international conflicts. In fact, he finds himself landing in a soup with most of them. But his latest tweet about an anti-diabetes drug seems to have hit just the right spot. Musk had tweeted about how Wegovy, a diabetic drug, along with fasting was his secret weapon to look “fit, ripped and healthy”.
Wegovy, an injectable drug, Ozempic and several other diabetic drugs have been going viral on social media for their ability to help you lose weight. While their primary ability is to moderate insulin in diabetics, weight loss is a side effect.
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Ozempic is the brand name of semaglutide, part of a drug group known as incretins or gut hormones, Wegovy is a higher dose of semaglutide. Musk’s tweet put the drug in the limelight and searches for it shot up to 350 million views on social media platform TikTok.
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While exercise and diet are the key to staying fit, weight loss often requires additional help. Over the past two decades, obesity in the United States has increased from 30.5 per cent to 41.9 per cent. Physicians are looking towards the drug positively and hoping that is can be used in the fight against obesity.
Tirzepatide is another incretin that was recently approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in May 2022 as diabetes medication. Scientists found that those who participated in the drug trials reported early satiety and delayed gastric emptying. When they feel full for longer, along with the food moving more slowly from the stomach through to the small and large intestines, the result is weight loss.
A body mass index of 30, or a body mass index of 27, in case the person is suffering from weight-related condition like diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea, are the pre-conditions for such drugs being prescribed for weight loss.
However, incretins need to be taken for an indefinite period of time and other side effects include bloating, constipation and diarrhoea. Plus, they are heavy on the pocket. The injectable drugs cost as much as $1,000 a month.
So, while scientists debate how effective such drugs are in weight loss in the long run and if at all they cause any major side effects, a healthy diet and physical activity should still be on the top of your list if you are looking to lose some pounds.
(With inputs from agencies)
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