OZEMPIC® (Semaglutide)

Ozempic® is also used for weight loss when clinically appropriate

Ozempic® is a once-weekly injectable GLP-1 medication, a class of medicines clinically known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RA). It is one of the medications that we prescribe at Worthy Weight Loss, for the treatment of type-2 diabetes. At Worthy Weight Loss, we also prescribe Ozempic® for the treatment of obesity and overweight, when clinically appropriate.

Ozempic®, FDA approved for type 2 diabetes in October of 2017, and Wegovy®, FDA approved for weight loss (chronic weight management) in June, 2021, are both manufactured by the same company, Norvo Nordisk and they both contain the same active ingredient known as “semaglutide.”  The main difference between Ozempic® and Wegovy® is that each one has its own unique dosing regimen. Many people use Ozempic® in lieu of Wegovy®, sometimes for cost saving reasons. However, the use of Ozempic® for weight loss is “off-label” and as such, is many times not covered by insurance. That said, at Worthy Weight Loss, we can help you navigate alternative cost-effective ways to obtain Ozempic®.

When added to our weight loss program, Ozempic® helps you lose weight by enhancing satiety, so you aren’t thinking about food all the time. Weight loss causes a drop in satiety hormones including GLP-1. By replacing this with Ozempic®, you can stay satiated and thus, maintain the weight that you have lost without experiencing so much food noise as before using Ozempic®.

When taking Ozempic®, you feel more satisfied before, during and after meals. Meaning you get less hungry, and you fill up much more quickly.

Ozempic® mimics the hormone called GLP-1. This hormone is naturally released by our intestines in response to eating a meal, signaling the end of the meal. When you use Ozempic®, your body is always exposed to higher levels of this hormone leading to less food consumption.

Using Ozempic® to better control your appetite can enable you to adhere more effectively to the behavior modification recommendations, including nutrition, physical activity, and mindful eating, prescribed by our clinical team at Worthy Weight Loss, to help you achieve long-term weight loss success.

You are eligible to take Ozempic® if you are 18 years or over, with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.

Additionally, Ozempic® can also be used (as off-label) for treating obesity and overweight if you meet the following criteria:

1. BMI 30 or more.
2. BMI of 27 or greater with a related health problem such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, prediabetes, sleep apnea, fatty liver and other weight related health conditions.
3. No personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2.
4. No history of pancreatitis.

A study published in the September 2022 issue of JAMA, titled “Weight Loss Outcomes Associated with Semaglutide Treatment for Patients with Overweight or Obesity,” found that patients who received weekly injectable doses of Ozempic® at 0.25mg, 0.5mg, or 1.0mg, experienced an average weight loss of 5.1% after three months and 9.2% after six months.

At Worthy Weight Loss, some patients who received Ozempic® along with lifestyle modifications (including a prescribed nutrition and exercise plan), have achieved and maintained a weight loss of 10%-12%.