{"id":101648,"date":"2023-05-09T15:15:19","date_gmt":"2023-05-09T19:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=101648"},"modified":"2023-05-10T09:57:01","modified_gmt":"2023-05-10T13:57:01","slug":"injectable-weight-loss-drugs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/injectable-weight-loss-drugs\/","title":{"rendered":"Injectable Weight-Loss Drugs: Should You Consider Them?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What are injectable weight-loss drugs? Should you try them to lose weight? What are the pros and cons?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Americans have been gaining weight for a half-century despite tracking their food, changing their lifestyle, working out, and avoiding carbs. For millions, few easy options existed\u2014until the arrival of injectable weight-loss drugs, Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Read on to learn about injectable weight-loss drugs, including the pros and cons of using them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

The Rise of Injectable Weight-Loss Drugs<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In 2000, 31% of adult Americans were obese<\/a>. By 2018, that number climbed to 42%. Americans have been gaining weight for a half-century, and they\u2019ve been told for just as long that all they have to do to take it off is track their food<\/a>, change their lifestyle, feel the burn<\/a>, and avoid carbs<\/a>. For millions, few options have existed to take and keep weight off<\/a> easily\u2014until the arrival of injectable weight-loss drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do Ozempic, Wegovy, and their latest rival in the drug weight-loss market, Mounjaro, work? What problems do these injectable weight-loss drugs present? What will the diet industry look like in the years ahead? We\u2019ll explore these questions in this article. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Ozempic\u2014a drug approved only to treat Type 2 diabetes\u2014and Wegovy\u2014authorized to help with chronic weight management<\/strong>\u2014share a key ingredient, semaglutide, which creates a <\/strong>sense of satiety<\/strong><\/a> and slows the pace at which food leaves the stomach<\/strong>. The drugs have been found to spur more weight loss<\/a> more effectively than other treatments, decreasing body weight by 15%<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mounjaro, created by Eli Lilly, is the <\/strong>rising star on the drug weight-loss scene<\/strong><\/a>. Like its semaglutide counterparts, Mounjaro creates a feeling of fullness, but its active ingredient, tirzepatide, also restricts the brain\u2019s hunger signals<\/a>, further depressing appetite. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mounjaro has been found to produce more dramatic weight-loss results than Ozempic and Wegovy: One study found that it led to a 20% or greater weight loss in 57% of people taking its highest dose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not Everything About the Drugs Is Rosy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Though some see Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro as revolutionary due to their ability to take off pounds without significant effort, these injectable weight-loss drugs are not without controversy. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, a serious consequence of Americans flocking to Ozempic as a weight-loss drug<\/a> is the shortage it\u2019s caused, which has left Americans who need the medication to treat their diabetes\u2014many from <\/strong>socioeconomically disadvantaged communities<\/strong><\/a>\u2014<\/strong>in the lurch<\/strong><\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further, Ozempic and Wegovy aren\u2019t perfect as weight-loss treatments: <\/p>\n\n\n\n