One of the most popular methods of the billion-dollar weight loss industry is through medication – touted as a quick fix for losing weight and suppressing your appetite.
Pills and injections that help individuals lose weight and curb hunger are often hailed as the holy grail of easy fat loss that previously seemed unattainable.
Macro shot of syringe with needle. (Unsplash, Raghavendra Konkathi)
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However, all weight loss pills have side effects.
Here are the latest weight loss pills, what they do and their side effects.
Vigoway
Semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy, is the latest medicine approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) for routine use in the NHS. (Twitter)
Semaglutide, marketed as Wegovy, is the latest medicine approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) for routine use in the NHS. It's a once-weekly weight loss pill that keeps you from feeling hungry. Semaglutide is intended to be used with a diet and exercise program in individuals who are overweight or obese to improve their health.
It is not a lifestyle drug for an already slim person who wants to lose a few more pounds.
Semaglutide contains a compound that mimics a hormone called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and helps the pancreas release the right amount of insulin when blood sugar levels are high. It also makes you feel full because it slows stomach emptying and suppresses appetite.
The drug helped people lose up to 15% of their body weight. However, in clinical trials, people complained of side effects including constipation, nausea, vomiting, headaches, and diarrhea.
Studies have shown that people may regain the weight once they stop taking the drug.
ozone layer
More and more residents of the United Arab Emirates are heading to clinics, pharmacies and hospitals across the country in an attempt to obtain diabetes injections such as Saxenda and Ozempic to use to lose weight. (Twitter)
Ozempic is another medicine that contains semaglutide. Take weekly by injection into the thigh, arm, or stomach.It is similar to Wegovy, offering a slightly lower dose of the drug Semaglutide, but with similar weight loss side effects
Ozempic is recommended for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and is used to help control blood sugar levels in people with this disease. It is not intended to be used as a weight loss drug. It's become Hollywood's least-known weight-loss secret, as celebrities scramble to get their hands on the drug in order to drop skirt sizes on the red carpet.
Al Arabiya English reported last month how doctors in Dubai revealed interest in the drug had peaked after videos on TikTok and ads on Instagram touted it as a panacea for stubborn fat — because Residents were warned they couldn't just walk into a pharmacy and buy drugs.
Xenical
Xenical is a branded version of the generic drug Orlistat
Xenical is the branded version of the generic drug orlistat. When used in conjunction with a low-calorie diet, it is indicated for obesity management, including weight loss and weight maintenance. Take one tablet with water within one hour before, during, or after each of your three daily meals. In trials, it has been shown to prevent up to a third of dietary fat from being digested by the body. Mellor explains that it works by inhibiting the enzymes gastric and pancreatic lipases in the digestive system that break down fat.
By preventing these enzymes from working properly, some undigested fat is excreted in the stool. It is usually prescribed for 12 weeks, during which time you may lose up to 5% of your body weight, in most cases around 3 to 7kg.
However, Xenical has many side effects, according to The Times.
These medicines can cause oily diarrhea and gas. Other potential problems with use include headaches, anxiety, and menstrual disturbances.
Because it lowers the levels of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K absorbed by the body, users are advised to take a multivitamin containing these nutrients, preferably at bedtime when medications are not being taken.
Ali
Alli, an over-the-counter orlistat product, is another pill that promises to help people lose weight
Alli, an over-the-counter Orlistat product, is another such pill that promises to help people lose weight by absorbing about 25 percent of the fat in food. However, common side effects include stomach pain and oily diarrhea and should not be taken for more than six months at a time. Alli recommends that people with a BMI of 28 or higher consult a pharmacist before taking it.
misimba
Another weight loss drug is Mysimba.
Another weight loss drug is Mysimba, which combines the opioid antagonist naltrexone with the antidepressant bupropion. This combination is thought to target the central nervous system pathways responsible for hunger and eating, but it may also have unwanted side effects such as dizziness, nausea and drowsiness. In clinical trials, Mysimba has been shown to reduce an average of 5kg in a year, but it is also likely to cause people to quit smoking due to side effects.
roselle plant
Freeze-dried roselle in a Petri dish. The plate is held by blue gloved hands.Image credit: RMIT University
A supplement derived from the flower may be a weight-loss wonder ingredient that breaks down fat cells without the side effects of other weight loss pills, according to new research, scientists believe.
As Al Arabiya English reported earlier this month, the highly edible red roselle plant native to Africa is rich in powerful compounds that Australian researchers believe have “anti-obesity” properties, according to a study published Properties and possible weight loss in International Journal of Food Science and Technology.
Laboratory tests by a team at RMIT University have shown that it hinders the body from forming new fat cells. The scientists treated human stem cells with phenolic extracts and hydroxycitric acid before they turned into fat cells. The fat content of fat cells in the cells exposed to hydroxycitric acid did not change. On the other hand, the cells treated with the phenolic extract contained 95 percent less fat than the other cells.
Australian scientists believe that antioxidants in plants prevent the body from absorbing fat, causing it to be used as waste rather than stored.
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