What is Ozempic?

Ozempic (Semaglutide), is a once-a-week injectable weight loss medication that works on the appetite receptors in the brain to reduce feelings of hunger and cravings.

The injection imitates GLP1 – a naturally occurring hormone in your body – which is released after you eat and indicates to your brain that you are full.

These medications also work to slow the emptying of your stomach, which leads to feelings of fullness for longer after you have eaten.

Ozempic is currently licensed for use in the treatment of Type 2 Diabetes, but it has shown to have a positive effect on reducing people’s weight when accompanied by a healthy diet and exercise programme.

A study of almost 2000 people published in February 2021 has shown that the once-aweek weight loss injection can help patients with obesity significantly reduce their body weight and improve their health alongside their weight loss diet.

The study, undertaken by University College London, found that 32% of people who took Ozempic were able to reduce their overall body weight by 20%, in just 15 months when accompanied by a healthy weight loss diet.

Ozempic is similar to our already prescribed injectable weight loss medication, Saxenda, but the only difference being that you only need to inject Ozempic once a week - making it a more convenient weight loss medication and meaning you are much less likely to forget to take it!

More than just losing weight, there are so many benefits to leading a healthier lifestyle, like reducing your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and reducing your body fat.

This means you will be making changes in your health outside of just your weight, even if your weight loss is slowing or plateauing, your body fat % and blood pressure could be dropping! Keep your motivation up by monitoring these body measurements.