With more than 70% of American adults struggling with extra weight, researchers and health professionals are finally realizing that diet and exercise aren’t enough to help everyone reach their goal weight.
Recently, weight loss medications like semaglutide (which you may know better by its brand names, Ozempic® and Wegovy®) have helped people lose the extra weight. Soon, there may be a new weight loss injection joining semaglutide called Mounjaro™ (tirzepatide), which may work even better.
At Legacy Health and Wellness Clinic, our compassionate preventive care physician, Dr. Ifeoma Ogbonna, offers a weight management program. She understands the challenges you face with attempting to get to a healthier weight.
At Legacy Health and Wellness, we customize plans and include weight loss medications when appropriate.
In this month’s blog, we want to share what we know about the newest weight loss injection — Mounjaro — and how it can help you.
About Mounjaro
Mounjaro is prescription injection FDA-approved to help with blood glucose control in people with Type 2 diabetes. It works by activating hormone receptors — glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) — that regulate blood glucose.
Semaglutide injections are also FDA-approved for the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and work in a similar manner. But these injections only work on one receptor — GLP-1 — while Mounjaro works on two receptors.
Researchers suggest that this additional action of Mounjaro may make it more effective.
How Mounjaro works
In addition to helping improve blood glucose control, the makers of Mounjaro have found that the injection also promotes weight loss.
Mounjaro helps people lose weight by increasing satiety, so they don’t feel hungry. They also fill up faster during meals, so they eat less. It works in the same way as the semaglutide weight loss injections, but it may work better because it works on two receptors rather than just one.
Current research from the makers of Mounjaro show that it helps people with obesity and Type 2 diabetes lose 15-20% of their body weight. Though Mounjaro is not yet FDA-approved for weight loss, health care providers may prescribe it as an off-label use for the treatment of obesity. Insurance is unlikely to cover the cost of medication used off-label.
Can Mounjaro help me?
If your weight is affecting your health, and diet and exercise aren’t working, you might benefit from a weight loss injection like Mounjaro. We can help determine if the weight loss medication is a good choice for you. We can also talk to you about semaglutide weight loss injections.
These medications work best when combined with a balanced diet and exercise program, as well as behavioral therapy, to help you develop habits that lead to long-term weight maintenance.
Contrary to popular belief, willpower alone may not be enough to help you reach your weight goals. If you’re having a hard time losing weight, let us help you find a solution that works.
Call our office in Cedar Hill or Austin, Texas, or book an appointment online today. We can even meet through telehealth.