Prescription weight loss medications stand out as the most common form of these. These drugs work on the body’s physiological systems that control appetite and ingestion of fats in different ways. Do these drugs work to achieve your goals? How do they work with weight loss medications? Let’s look more into how weight loss drugs work.
The Functions of Weight Loss Medications
Commonly, these drugs for weight loss are prescribed to those patients who have failed in lifestyle changes or whose medical conditions are directly related to the weight, like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and sleep apnea. A healthy diet and regular exercise usually accompany weight loss medications. It is worth mentioning that such drugs are not alternatives to healthy lifestyle choices but supplements, along with an entire weight management plan.
The mechanisms of action determine how all the drugs work. Here’s the most commonly prescribed weight loss drug and what it does: Appetite Suppressants
One of the most commonly used drugs for weight loss mechanisms includes anorectics, which are agents that suppress appetite. Many weight-loss drugs are considered to influence actions on the brain, such as reducing hunger or feeling full. They usually act on the hypothalamus, the part of the brain in charge of hunger and fullness.
How They Work
Appetite suppressants turn on neuron neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, norepinephrine, or dopamine, which are significant in the brain. This reduces the tendency to eat and, therefore, less calorie uptake and weight.
Most Common Appetite Suppressants
- Phentermine
- Lorcaserin (Belviq)
These drugs may help a great deal in controlling the craving to eat but are given only for temporary periods as there is a potential problem of side effects as well as drug abuse.
Fat Absorption Inhibitors
Another class of weight loss drugs interferes with the body’s ability to absorb fat from food. Such drugs inhibit the activities of lipases. Lipases are enzymes that break down dietary fat for uptake into the bloodstream. In this case, part of the fat you ingest is not absorbed into the body but comes through your stool.
How They Work:
The site of action of fat absorption inhibitors is the gastrointestinal tract. It inhibits the diet’s absorption of approximately 25-30% fat. So, the caloric intake would decrease, thereby reducing weight.
Metabolic Enhancers
Other weight loss drugs are metabolically stimulant; they enhance the burning of calories. The class under which medications for weight loss fall and affect the involuntary activity of the body, among other things, are drugs on the sympathetic nervous system.
How They Work:
Medications that increase metabolism enhance norepinephrine in the body, which is helpful to start the breakdown of fats. This is said to increase the burn of even more calories in a resting state.
Common Medications that Raise Metabolism:
Phentermine-topiramate, or Qsymia: These drugs hasten metabolism and weight loss is achieved, but this raises the heartbeat, increases blood pressure, and one feels agitated, especially in an individual with an already diseased heart condition.
Medication for Blood Sugar
In cases involving obesity and overweight conditions like Type 2 diabetes, certain drugs controlling blood sugar help in weight loss. Type 2 diabetes always requires insulin resistance, making it hard for the body to burn fats. Improving insulin sensitivity can cause better fat burning and loss of weight.
How they work:
These drugs increase the body’s glucose utilization and thereby lead to the deposition of less fatty material. Some other medicines may also help curb hunger and enhance the metabolism of fats.
A few examples of blood sugar regulation medications include:
GLP-1 Agonists like Semaglutide and liraglutide work as analogs for a hormone named GLP-1 that regulates glucose, appetite, and fat storage. According to evidence, Semaglutide has been marketed under the name Ozempic, used as diabetes medicine, and Wegovy as a weight loss drug that decreases the craving for food.
Combination of medication with lifestyle changes
Medications for weight loss might be helpful but practical only as an adjunct to healthier lifestyles. No medicine can substitute for proper nutrition, exercise, and modification of habits. Doctors have often prescribed these medicines as part of an overall plan for weight management that may include counseling, exercise plans, and guidance on nutritional needs.
Weight loss medication should also be prescribed and followed up on by the health care provider to determine whether the drugs are effective. They are not the same prescription for everyone but rather a personalized prescription for one’s specific health needs.
Conclusion
Weight loss medication is essential in enabling people to achieve their weight loss goals, mainly when used with diet and exercise. All work on the same principle of appetite suppression, blocking fat absorption, boosting metabolic rate, and regulating the blood sugar level. That makes using a wide variety and calls for cautious prescription under professional advice. Remember, though, that with pills, the weight loss does not turn out to be an overnight thing. That requires commitment on the part of both doctors and patients.
