New Study Finds Semaglutide Plus Lifestyle Intervention Leads to Greater Weight Loss in Adults with Obesity, But Serious Adverse Effects and Insurance Coverage Issues Persist
Semaglutide plus a lifestyle intervention led to greater weight loss than just the lifestyle intervention alone in adults with obesity.
These drugs have serious reported adverse effects such as pancreatitis and bowel obstruction.
Weight loss medications have been a topic of interest for many people in recent years. These drugs, such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus, work by suppressing appetite and may seem to fulfill the need for effective treatments for obesity. However, there are concerns about their safety and long-term effects on health. In a new study published in BMJ Open Science, researchers found that semaglutide plus a lifestyle intervention led to greater weight loss than just the lifestyle intervention alone in adults with obesity. While these drugs may be effective for short term weight loss, it is important to note that they have serious reported adverse effects such as pancreatitis and bowel obstruction. It is also worth noting that reliable usage data are lacking and insurance companies often refuse to cover them unless patients have Type 2 Diabetes. Therefore, before starting any new medication for weight loss, it is important to consult with a healthcare professional.
Physician Molly Thompson is the director at the Family Medicine Residency Center at Pullman Regional Hospital and practices family medicine.
Semaglutide drugs have side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
The biggest challenge for doctors prescribing Semaglutide drugs is that pharmacies often face shortages of these medications due to increased popularity.
Another challenge for doctors prescribing the drug is insurance companies often refuse to cover it unless patients have Type 2 Diabetes.
Accuracy
<p>Reliable usage data are lacking but these drugs seem increasingly popular despite a lack of long term data on safety.</p>
Deception
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None Found At Time Of
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None Found At Time Of
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Conflicts
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Dr. Sanjay Gupta has a financial interest in weight loss drugs as he is an investor in Wegovy and Ozempic.
Physician Molly Thompson is the director at the Family Medicine Residency Center at Pullman Regional Hospital and practices family medicine.
Thompson said obesity, defined as a body mass index of 30 or higher, is a medical diagnosis. Obesity is worthy of treatment because it increases the risk for other health complications including diabetes and hypertension.
Semaglutide drugs have side effects such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.
The biggest challenge for doctors prescribing Semaglutide drugs is that pharmacies often face shortages of these medications due to increased popularity.
Another challenge for doctors prescribing the drug is insurance companies often refuse to cover it unless patients have Type 2 Diabetes.
Accuracy
No Contradictions at Time
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Deception
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The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that Semaglutide drugs are used to treat obesity when they have only been approved for weight loss by the FDA. Secondly, the author states that these medications work by mimicking a hormone that helps diabetics and people with obesity but fails to mention their side effects which include nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Thirdly, the article implies that Semaglutide drugs are safe for everyone when in fact they require continued use to be effective and can have serious complications such as kidney damage.
The article implies that Semaglutide drugs are safe for everyone when in fact they require continued use to be effective and can have serious complications such as kidney damage.
The author claims that Semaglutide drugs are used to treat obesity when they have only been approved for weight loss by the FDA.
Fallacies
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The article contains several examples of informal fallacies. The author uses an appeal to authority when she states that Semaglutide drugs have been approved by the FDA for weight loss treatment. This is a false statement as not all Semaglutide drugs are approved for this purpose.
The active ingredient in several of those drugs, originally used to treat Type 2 Diabetes, has now also been approved by the FDA to treat obesity.
Bias
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None Found At Time Of
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Conflicts
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Interest (50%)
Rachel Sun has a conflict of interest with GLP-1 agonists and Semaglutide as she is affiliated with Family Medicine Residency Center at Pullman Regional Hospital which offers these medications. She also has financial ties to Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus through her employer.
Rachel Sun mentions in the article that
Author
Conflicts
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The author has a conflict of interest on the topic of weight-loss medications as they mention Ozempic and Wegovy in their article.
Most countries have seen substantial rises in the prevalence of obesity in recent decades and effective, acceptable treatments are needed.
Semaglutide and tirzepatide work by suppressing appetite and may seem to fulfill that need.
<br>In one key trial, semaglutide plus a lifestyle intervention for adults with obesity led to a greater weight loss than the lifestyle intervention alone.<br>
Reliable usage data are lacking but these drugs seem increasingly popular despite a lack of long term data on safety.
Serious reported adverse effects include pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, gastroparesis, pulmonary aspiration during anaesthesia, suicidal ideation and self-harm.
<br>For many people with obesity and a high risk of comorbidities the benefits are likely to outweigh risks at least in the short term.
The article raises questions about whether new weight loss medications will work from a public health perspective.
Accuracy
<Reliable usage data are lacking but these drugs seem increasingly popular despite a lack of long term data on safety.>
<For many people with obesity and a high risk of comorbidities the benefits are likely to outweigh risks at least in the short term.>
Deception
(30%)
The article is deceptive in several ways. Firstly, the author claims that new weight loss medications are not the answer to obesity when there is no evidence presented to support this claim. Secondly, the author uses sensationalism by stating that these drugs seem increasingly popular despite a lack of long-term data on safety and serious reported adverse effects including pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, gastroparesis, pulmonary aspiration during anaesthesia, suicidal ideation and self-harm. Thirdly the author uses selective reporting by only mentioning two drugs (semaglutide and tirzepatide) when there are other weight loss medications available in the market.
The selective reporting of only two drugs (semaglutide and tirzepatide) when there are other weight loss medications available in the market is deceptive because it gives a false impression that these are the only options available.
The statement 'new weight loss medications are not the answer to obesity' is deceptive because it implies that these medications do not work, but no evidence is presented to support this claim.
The use of sensationalism by stating that these drugs seem increasingly popular despite a lack of long-term data on safety and serious reported adverse effects including pancreatitis, bowel obstruction, gastroparesis, pulmonary aspiration during anaesthesia, suicidal ideation and self-harm is deceptive because it creates fear in the reader without providing any evidence to support this claim.
Fallacies
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None Found At Time Of
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Bias
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None Found At Time Of
Publication
Site
Conflicts
Of
Interest (50%)
The article discusses weight loss medications and GLP-1 agonists semaglutide and tirzepatide. The authors have a financial interest in the pharmaceutical industry as they are employed by a company that produces these drugs.
