If you’re overweight or obese, you are certainly not alone. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), roughly 42% and 32% of people in the U.S. are obese and overweight, respectively. While there is some degree of comfort in knowing you’re not the only one carrying around a few or more than a few extra pounds, that does not mean it’s okay. The same CDC study revealed that individuals who are obese are overweight are at high risk of developing a slew of chronic health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Joint and respiratory issues can also arise from being obese or overweight, the study further noted. For most people, cutting calories and exercising leads to weight loss and minimizes the chances of developing most weight-related health problems. But for others, cutting calories and exercising are just not enough.

Why Obese and Overweight Individuals Turn to Medical Weight Loss Clinics for Help in Losing Weight

Being physically active and consuming a healthy, well-balanced diet is the key to losing weight, which explains why they are the first things people try when they want to slim down. But this approach may not work so well for someone with a slow metabolism or below-average muscle mass as both can make it hard to burn fat. The same applies to people with genetics or underlying medical problems that force their bodies to hold onto fat. For some, environmental factors are the things that stand in the way of them shedding excess body fat. To overcome these types of issues and lose the amount of weight they want to lose, many people turn to medical weight loss clinics for help.

How Medical Weight Loss Clinics Help Individuals Lose Weight

A medical weight loss clinic is a medical practice staffed with physicians well-versed in medical weight loss or bariatric weight management. These physicians work with individuals to identify what factors are making it difficult for them to lose weight. Depending on the factors identified, they may prescribe prescription-based medications to those individuals to help them achieve their desired weight loss results. Some of these medications include the following:

• Setmelanotide (Imcivree)
• Semaglutide (Wegovy)
• Phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia)
• Orlistat (Xenical)
• Liraglutide (Saxenda)
• Bupropion-naltrexone (Contrave)

Except for orlistat, which alters how the body absorbs fat, these medications keep individuals satiated and feeling less hungry throughout the day. As a result, they eat less, take in fewer calories, and lose weight. Of course, individuals must take these medications as prescribed by a physician. And some have to be taken multiple times each day, with or without food. While this might not sound like a big deal, it is for some people as they sometimes forget to take medication the number of times prescribed by their physician or forget about taking it altogether. For this reason, many physicians in medical weight loss clinics prescribe semaglutide to their patients.

Medical Weight Loss Clinics Explain the Hype Behind the Weight Loss Drug Semaglutide

Also known as Wegovy, semaglutide is a once-weekly injectable medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2021 to help obese and significantly overweight individuals lose weight. According to Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of semaglutide, in clinical trials, obese and overweight individuals who exercised, consumed a healthy, balanced diet, and took semaglutide were able to lose 15% to 18% of their total body weight. With most people achieving noticeable weight loss in as little as two weeks of being on it, semaglutide works by ramping up insulin production in the pancreas and decreasing glucagon production in the liver. This uptick in the production of insulin and reduction in the production of glucagon reduces hunger and increases energy, which, in turn, contributes to weight loss. Because it is a once-weekly injectable medication, most people don’t have a problem taking semaglutide as directed and seldom forget to take it.

What Medical Weight Loss Clinics Prescribe the Once-weekly Weight Loss Injection Semaglutide?

Semaglutide is the only once-weekly injectable medication approved by the FDA for weight loss, and it is available at nearly all medical weight-loss clinics in the U.S. Those who do not wish to join a medical weight-loss clinic can request a prescription from a licensed physician, which they can fill at pretty much any pharmacy. That said, if you’re interested in learning more about semaglutide or need help finding a medical weight loss clinic in your area, consider speaking with one of our associates today.

Those believing a medical weight loss program might best serve their health and fitness goals are urged to contact the team of highly skilled and experienced team employed at Vital Force Therapy and Wellness. We look forward to offering interested parties an evaluation and, if they are a good fit, formulate a plan most tailored to serve their needs.

To learn more about us, please visit at our medical weight loss clinic or call 205-352-9141