Until recently, many medical treatments for weight loss were costly and invasive. Now, a new generation of medication is changing the way we approach long-term weight loss. So, what are these non-surgical treatments, how do they work and why are people choosing them over other weight loss methods like surgical procedures? Our Levity experts explain.
In the past, people seeking treatment for obesity would have limited treatment paths to choose from, most of which were surgical options. Bariatric surgery is a type of surgery that makes your stomach smaller, which makes you feel full faster so you eat less. Examples of bariatric procedures include gastric bypass, gastric band and sleeve gastrectomy, and they involve parts of your stomach being altered or removed entirely. They're performed under general anaesthetic using minimally invasive techniques, but they're still considered permanent, major operations with four to six weeks of recovery time afterwards.
These procedures are available on the NHS if your BMI is 40 or over, or between 35-39.9 and have an existing obesity-related condition that may improve with weight loss, such as type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure. [1] Availability of the service varies around the country, meaning many people pay for expensive private surgeries. Although safe, weight loss surgery can put you at risk of complications, including: blood clots, stomach leaks, gut blockages and infection. [2]
For these reasons, many people are turning to non-invasive procedures and treatments instead.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1s, have revolutionised the way we now treat obesity. They were originally developed as treatments for type-2 diabetes, but clinical studies found they were also highly effective at aiding weight loss. [3]
They work by mimicking a naturally occurring hormone in your gut: glucagon-like peptide-1. This hormone is responsible for regulating your blood sugar, slowing down digestion and suppressing appetite. It's part of the incretin system, a group of gut-derived hormones that regulate the amount of insulin released after you eat a meal.
GLP-1 medications are taken as a subcutaneous injection into the fatty layer of tissue beneath your skin using a pre-filled injection pen.
GLP-1s aid weight loss in two key ways:
GLP-1s enhance insulin secretion in response to elevated blood sugar levels after a meal. [4] This helps improve your metabolic health.
GLP-1 medications target the appetite centre in your brain, increasing satiety and reducing hunger signals. [5] They also slow gastric emptying, or the rate food leaves your stomach after you eat. [6] Many people taking GLP-1s report a decreased desire to overeat as a result. [5]
One of the most well-known GLP-1 medications is semaglutide, the active ingredient in branded treatments like Ozempic and Wegovy. Research shows that people who take semaglutide lose 14.9% of their body weight in 68 weeks, on average. [7]
You may have also heard of tirzepatide, or Mounjaro. This drug is a dual-action GIP (gastric inhibitory polypeptide) and GLP-1 receptor agonist, meaning it mimics two gut hormones instead of just one. That makes it one of the most effective drugs on the market, with the maximum dose helping patients lose up to 20.9% of their body weight in 72 weeks. [8]
GLP-1s are eligible to be prescribed to treat obesity. They can be prescribed to people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, or those with a BMI of 27 or higher with weight-related medical conditions such as type-2 diabetes, prediabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure. [9] These BMI cutoff values can be lower depending on ethnicity.
If you're considering non-surgical weight loss options like a GLP-1 medication, it's important for you to consider the following:
Combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise, weight loss medications can boost your weight loss results. To learn more about non-surgical weight loss treatments at Levity, start an online consultation today.
In this post, our Levity experts unpack how Mounjaro works, what to expect on your journey as well as real patient transformations to help you figure out if weight loss medication is right for you.
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We explain how to access the approved GLP-1 injections and how NHS availability and waiting times might impact your weight loss journey.
