Lose weight and become healthier for $1,350/month? Yep, you can do it, at least according to the preliminary results reported yesterday by Novo Nordisk on its drug, Wegovy, a drug that sets users back over a grand per month (Novo Nordisk funded the research study that has not yet been peer reviewed or published). Or maybe you can lose weight and become healthier for free. See below.

I’ll put on my medical hat now, as I occasionally do (see here). The reported results are hardly a surprise. It’s been known for years that so-called glucagon-like peptides-1 (Wegovy is a GLP-1 drug) reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease in diabetic patients.

Reducing Obesity

Beyond that, GLP-1 drugs have been in the news lately because they reduce weight in obese patients. So, since it is well accepted that obesity is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, it’s hardly surprising that the Novo Nordisk study found its participants who received weekly injections of Wegovy had fewer heart attacks and strokes than the participants who received placebo injections.

What is new in this study is the population studied. Participants were all 45 years or older, and overweight (body mass index of at least 27), but they did not have diabetes. The key finding? The people receiving Wegovy had a 20% reduction in major adverse cardiovascular events (heart attacks, strokes, and cardiovascular deaths), this coming from a population of over seventeen thousand subjects studied since 2018. So, assuming the data stand up when reviewed by peers, the results are convincing.

Press Release

I checked out the press release (you can see it here), and there is no mention of weight changes in any of the subjects, but almost surely those receiving Wegovy lost substantial weight.

The active compound in Wegovy is semaglutide (2.4 mg in each weekly injection). Semaglutide is also the active ingredient in Ozempic, a name that, if you watch any television, you’re familiar with, the drug that is now touted as a weight reduction wonder.

How do they work?

How do GLP-1 drugs work? They mimic the action of a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1. As blood sugar levels rise after a meal, these drugs stimulate the production of insulin, which in turn lowers blood sugar levels. These drugs also curb hunger. The mechanism isn’t totally worked out, but they slow the movement of food out of the stomach into the intestines, giving the sensation of feeling full longer. Thus one eats less.

Plan B

Since evidence suggests that GLP-1 drugs lower a person’s weight by reducing caloric intake, here’s an alternate plan for you to consider. Rather than laying out some hefty dollars for Wegovy or Ozempic, or any of the GLP-1 drugs, why not consider the possibility of toughening your resolve and sticking to any of the weight-losing diets available? Lower your caloric intake and you will achieve the same happy results without laying out a boatload of cash. In short, lose weight and become healthier for free. Not only that, but you’ll avoid the side effects of Wegovy and Ozempic, the most common being nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.