- A new study investigated why different obesity treatments, including diets, surgeries and new medications like GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, lead to varying times at which weight loss plateaus.
- Utilising a mathematical model, the research examines how these interventions alter the body’s regulation of energy intake and expenditure, affecting the duration of effective weight loss.
- The findings reveal that interventions like bariatric surgery and GLP-1 medications may extend the period of weight loss significantly longer than traditional diets by modifying the body’s appetite control mechanisms, highlighting the complexity of how different treatments interact with our physiological systems.
This new research, published in
The study focused on new medications called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, like semaglutide (brand names Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (brand names Zepbound, Mounjaro), which continue to help people with chronic conditions like diabetes and obesity lose weight for over a year without hitting a plateau.
In contrast, traditional dieting methods usually reach a weight loss plateau within about 12 months, similar to what is observed with bariatric surgery, although the latter tends to extend the weight loss period longer than dieting alone.
The researcher used a mathematical model previously developed for understanding human energy metabolism and body composition and modified it to examine how various weight loss interventions — like diets, surgery, and medication — affect the way our body regulates energy intake.
By inputting average data from existing studies on different interventions, such as intensive calorie restriction, various diets and medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide, the model simulates how these interventions lead to changes in…
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