MEDICAL NEWS TODAY – The World Health Organization (WHO) defines overweight and obesity as: “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health.”
Worldwide, obesity rates have almost tripled since 1975, and they are still increasing. In 2018, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) defined obesity as a BMI of 30 or higher and stated that 42.4% of adults in the United States had obesity.
Obesity increases the risk of many health conditions, among them:
- heart disease
- stroke
- type 2 diabetes certain types of cancer, including breast, kidney, liver, and colon.
Self-administered injections
Many people find it challenging to achieve and maintain a moderate weight. The National Institue for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has recommended a weight loss injection for use in the U.K. by the National Health Service NHS).
However, the U.K. regulatory bodies have yet to fully approve the treatment. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the treatment last year.
The drug, semaglutide [sold under the brand name Ozempic among others] mimics the hormone glucagon-like peptide-1, which the body releases after eating. The treatment makes people feel fuller, so they do not get so hungry and eat less.
In a 2021 trial, 1,961 adults with a BMI over 30 (mean 37.9) were allocated in a 2:1 ratio to treatment with semaglutide or placebo. The treatment group self-administered weekly injections of 2.4 milligrams (mg) of semaglutide; the control group received a placebo in the same way.
The trial was double-blind — neither the participants nor the researchers knew which group each other was in.
All those taking part in the trial also followed a reduced calorie diet and increased their physical activity. They received counseling sessions every 4 weeks to help them maintain the lifestyle changes … read more.
