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For many people the struggle to lose weight can be exhausting, both physically and mentally. Many people don’t achieve weight loss – despite changing their diet and lifestyle. In these situations, doctors may recommend weight loss medicines to help you lose weight. Weight loss medicines like Ozempic have become wonder drugs in popular culture recently, consequently many people have forgotten that sustainable weight loss cannot be achieved with just a medicine.
There are many types of weight loss medicines available in New Zealand. Prescription weight loss medicines are used to support weight loss in individuals who are overweight or obese. The different types of weight loss medicines work in their own ways.
Orlistat (Xenical): reduces the amount of fat you absorb from your food.
Phentermine (Duromine): affects the area of your brain associated with appetite, decreasing hunger.
Liraglutide (Saxenda): reduces your appetite and increases satiety, lowering your food intake.
Naltrexone/Buproprion (Contrave): both reduces your appetite and increases the energy used by your body.
Check out our other article on 5 important things to know about prescription weight loss medicines.
Your healthcare professional will consider a range of factors when deciding if weight loss medicines are right for you. These key factors may include:
*Risk factors include conditions such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, hypertension, and obstructive sleep apnoea.
No, prescription weight loss medicines cannot replace diet and exercise as a way to lose weight. Despite the perception of medicines like Ozempic in popular culture as “miracle cures”, weight loss medicines alone cannot achieve sustainable weight loss.
Making healthy lifestyle choices is very important, both to those who want to be considered for weight loss medicines and to those who are using weight loss medicines. Through eating a healthy diet and exercising you give yourself the best chance of achieving sustainable and long-term weight loss. When a healthy diet and regular exercise is combined with a weight loss medicine you can achieve life changing results.
Prescription weight loss medicines work best when combined with a healthy diet and regular exercise. It is important to remember that every person is unique, and results can vary depending on the person or the medication used.
Weight loss of 5% to 10% of your starting body weight can improve your health in a multitude of ways. It can lower your blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and triglyceride levels. This weight loss can also help improve or resolve other conditions related to being overweight or obese, such as type 2 diabetes, chronic kidney disease, sleep apnoea, and joint pain.
A moderate weight loss of 10% to 15% may bring about diabetes remission.
Despite the perception of medicines like Ozempic in popular culture as “miracle cures”, weight loss medicines alone cannot achieve sustainable weight loss.
Making healthy lifestyle choices is very important, both to those who want to be considered for weight loss medicines and to those who are using weight loss medicines. Through eating a healthy diet and exercising you give yourself the best chance of achieving sustainable and long-term weight loss. When a healthy diet and regular exercise is combined with a weight loss medicine you can achieve life changing results.
An active lifestyle is critical to losing weight effectively for the long term. During the process of weight loss you can easily lose muscle mass along with body fat, this can have negative consequences to your health and make it harder to keep body fat off in the long term.
Muscles use energy and can help the bodies’ ability to lose body fat and keep it off. Higher muscle mass also connected to insulin sensitivity, lower diabetes risk, and a lower risk of falls and fractures.
How much physical activity is needed for good health varies between people. Experts recommend doing at least 2.5 hours of moderate or 1.25 hours of vigorous physical activity each week.
Spreading this activity across the week may have the greatest health benefits. One strategy could be to do 30 minutes of moderate or 15 minutes vigorous physical activity five days per week.
A healthy diet must be maintained, not only to avoid rapid weight regain but also to provide your body with the essential nutrients it needs to function correctly, maintain muscle mass, and support overall health.
Prescription weight loss medicines affect your appetite and satiety. This makes it easier to eat less calories. It is very important that the food you do eat is high quality and healthy – creating the habits and change in diet now will make sure your weight loss journey produces long-lasting results.
There are many diets recommended, and it can become overwhelming trying to work out what’s right for you. Making small, practical and achievable changes is a great place to start. Healthify NZ has a great article on weight loss diets you can read here.
