Semaglutide, better known as Ozempic, has become a popular weight loss drug in the past year. And while it is originally a diabetes medicine. Wesselink took a closer look at the phenomenon and also lost five kilos himself. The drug could mean a “revolution”, according to the presenter, especially due to increasing obesity. Half of Dutch adults are overweight and obesity is increasing. “Ozempic is one drug, but there are more on the way.”
Behavior change
“It is injected once a week and disrupts your hormone balance, making you much less hungry all day,” Wesselink explains. “Changing behavior is super difficult. We have tried everything to get people to eat healthier, but in the end we are all getting fatter and that is going to cost more and more money.” The presenter thinks that this drug can help with this.
Beautiful remedy
That urge to consume fat and sugar can be inhibited with Ozempic. But Wesselink’s weight does not meet the requirements for the drug, explains gastric reduction surgeon Edo Aerts. “It is a wonderful tool. We are probably on the eve of a huge revolution. But before we get there, we will have to wait a number of years.”
“Traditionally, we knew that there were substances that ensure that you feel full longer and less hungry,” Aerts continues. “A number of manufacturers have responded intelligently and are now producing large quantities of one of those substances.”
Side effects
“A medicine also has side effects,” Aerts continues. In the short term, these are fairly well known, especially for patients with type 2 diabetes. “Those patients do not lose weight very well. As a result, we know well what the side effects are. They can be very mild. It works on your intestines, So you can get rumblings from it. In the long term, we know that there are indications that the risk of certain types of thyroid cancer increases somewhat, no matter how small that chance is.”
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