WEIGHTLOSS JABS: What does the science really say?

So first of all, let's just start with the basics.

So you'll have heard of the brand names of these weight loss injections.

They are Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro, and these are the big ones that you'll be hearing about all the time.

So Ozempic and Wegovy actually both contain the same drug, and this drug is called semaglutide.

And the reason that they're marketed as two different brands is because basically they're prescribed at different doses for different medical conditions.

So Ozempic is a lower dose that's prescribed for weight loss, and Wegovy is a higher dose that is prescribed for type 2 diabetes, but underneath they have exactly the same active drug, which is semaglutide.

So what is semaglutide and what does it do? Well, it's what we call a GLP-1 receptor agonist.

Now, GLP-1 stands for glucagon-like peptide-1.

That's glucagon-like peptide-1.

[crowd cheering] Science word of the week

GLP-1 is basically a hormone that your body naturally produces in your gut every time you eat, and it's got a couple of jobs.

Now, one is to stimulate insulin production to control your blood sugar.

Another job is to slow the rate at which your stomach empties, and a third job is to send signals to the brain to tell your body that you are full.

So in simple terms, the GLP-1 naturally found in your body will help you to feel full when you eat and also to regulate your blood sugar.

Now, a GLP-1 agonist is basically a drug that mimics this hormone, so it activates the same receptor or the same switch in your body, but it works for longer, and it's much more powerful than the natural GLP-1 that you produce.

So what happens is it means that when you take these injections, you feel fuller faster, you stay fuller for longer, and you significantly reduce your appetite.

Now, Mounjaro works slightly differently because it contains a drug called tirzepatide, and it works in a slightly different way.

Now, how this one works is it activates both the GLP-1 receptor and another hormone pathway called GIP, which is glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, meaning that Mounjaro actually has a dual mechanism, so it appears to make it even more potent for weight loss in clinical trials.

Now, here's the important part.