Ozempic is a weekly injection containing the weight loss drug semaglutide, which can help you lose weight. It is a pharmaceutical drug that was originally developed to help people with diabetes control and lower blood sugar levels. However, clinical trials have shown that Ozempic is also a safe and effective treatment for obese patients to aid in weight loss.

Ozempic mimics a natural hormone in your body called GLP-1. This hormone is produced by your digestive system in response to eating food and it acts on both the brain and digestive system to control how full you feel after eating. It also slows the emptying of your stomach into the rest of your digestive system. GLP-1 regulates insulin secretion in response to eating food so that your blood sugar is better controlled - even reducing blood sugar levels and reducing your appetite by signaling to your brain that you have eaten food. Injectable drugs act like these natural hormones to make you feel fuller for longer and reduce your desire for more food. Improving the way your body regulates blood sugar levels and fat storage can help patients lose weight.

About a third of people who take Ozempic for weight loss will lose 10% or more of their body weight. Most people should expect to lose at least 5% of their starting weight when using Ozempic for weight loss. In the long term (i.e. 12 months), you can expect at least 18% weight loss or up to 12kg.

Once you start using Ozempic, some people may find it takes a few weeks to see any weight loss, but others may see some weight loss within a week or two. On average, you will see weight loss in 3 weeks.

Yes, Ozempic can be used to help people lose weight even though it was originally designed for the treatment of diabetes. In fact, the results of recent research studies have been very interesting. Ozempic was tested in 6 main studies (SUSTAIN 1) involving 7,215 patients. 4,107 patients were treated with Ozempic and the rest were in a placebo group without an active drug - or sometimes taking other diabetes treatments. Treatment with Ozempic showed significant weight loss for up to 2 years compared to placebo or other diabetes treatments. The results were similar across age, gender, race and ethnicity. In this study, after 1 year of treatment, up to 63% of patients lost 5% or more of their body weight and up to 27% of patients lost 10% or more of their body weight. In one particular study, which was carried out for 2 years, using 1mg Ozempic with lifestyle interventions - such as diet changes and exercise - was compared to patients who only had lifestyle interventions. Patients lost an average of 4.9kg with Ozempic compared to only 0.5kg without the drug. The STEP-1 drug trial looked at higher doses of semaglutide (up to 2.4mg - Ozempic contains up to 1mg in the UK at the moment). More than 85% of the participants who took semaglutide lost 5% of their body weight, almost 70% achieved a 10% weight loss, 50% managed to lose 15%, and only less than a third managed to lose 20%.

Most people can take Ozempic for weight loss safely, but there are some medications and medical conditions that may make it unsuitable for you because of increased safety risks: Allergy to any substance; Diabetes and taking insulin or certain other medications; Kidney problems; Certain digestive system problems; History of eating disorders; Pregnancy, breastfeeding or trying to have a baby.

Yes, adding regular exercise to your regimen while taking Ozempic can help with weight loss. Exercise not only burns calories but also helps build muscle, which in turn helps increase metabolism.

It is not recommended to combine Ozempic with weight loss supplements without first consulting your healthcare provider. Some supplements can interact with Ozempic and cause side effects.