Ozempic contains a synthetic version of a hormone our bodies create. It is used to treat diabetes but also reduces the appetite of people who use the drug. Watch this for more
06 April 2023 - 04:00
byDylan Bush and Zano Kunene
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Ozempic is a once-a-week injectable drug used to treat diabetes. It contains a synthetic version of a hormone that regulates our blood sugar, but also causes the stomach to empty much slower which causes a reduction in appetite.
This leads people who take the medication to eat less and lose large amounts of weight in a short time. And research shows that once people stop taking Ozempic, they regain the weight they lost within a year.
But how does Ozempic work and why does it cause weight loss?
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
WATCH: How does diabetes drug Ozempic work?
Ozempic contains a synthetic version of a hormone our bodies create. It is used to treat diabetes but also reduces the appetite of people who use the drug. Watch this for more
Ozempic is a once-a-week injectable drug used to treat diabetes. It contains a synthetic version of a hormone that regulates our blood sugar, but also causes the stomach to empty much slower which causes a reduction in appetite.
This leads people who take the medication to eat less and lose large amounts of weight in a short time. And research shows that once people stop taking Ozempic, they regain the weight they lost within a year.
But how does Ozempic work and why does it cause weight loss?
This story was produced by the Bhekisisa Centre for Health Journalism. Sign up for the newsletter.
ALSO READ:
Boost for anti-obesity drugs as WHO weighs up categorising them ‘essential’
NZAMA MBALATI: SA cannot afford the health cost of unregulated sugar products
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most Read
Related Articles
Why there’s a shortage of this crucial diabetes drug
Diabetes: Why ‘lifestyle disease’ is an unfair label
PODCAST: This HIV doctor is changing how he treats overweight patients
Drugs for obesity and diabetes show promise for Covid-19 use
Why cancer activists are stuck in an endless loop
WATCH: How the anti-HIV injection empowers young women
Published by Arena Holdings and distributed with the Financial Mail on the last Thursday of every month except December and January.