Ozempic weight loss results: What the science says

So, shouldn’t those with type 2 diabetes be the medical priority over weight loss?

‘It’s important to treat both,’ says Dr Chahal. ‘Obesity is associated with numerous illnesses, including heart disease, hypertension, stroke, PCOS, sleep apnea, cancer, osteoarthritis, many cancers and, of course, type 2 diabetes.’

In fact, he believes that the drug is ‘revolutionising’ how we think about weight management – particularly given the complexity of slimming down through diet and exercise – arguing that they could help people avoid bariatric surgery, which is offered to those with a BMI over 40 who have an associated comorbidity.

Research published in the New England Journal of Medicine supports his theory. Scientists at University College London carried out the trial in 16 countries across Asia, Europe, North America, and South America.

It involved nearly 2,000 people who were either overweight or considered obese and results showed the drug could reduce body weight by up to 20%, achieving the same results as weight loss surgery.

‘No other drug has come close to producing this level of weight loss – this really is a game changer,’ said lead author of the study, Professor Rachel Batterham from UCL’s Centre for Obesity Research.

‘For the first time, people can achieve through drugs what was only possible through weight loss surgery.”

It could also help trim the £6.1 billion obesity currently costs the NHS, and £27 billion to wider society.

However, doctors say these medications aren’t a cure-all and should serve only as kick-starters to eating healthy and exercising. ‘I tell all my patients that if after six months you have not changed the way you eat or your activity, you are going to gain weight back,’ explains Dr Joseph Arulandu, who is qualified in internal and obesity medicine.

‘To rely on a drug purely for weight loss is going to end up in failure. It has to be the drug plus lifestyle modifications.’

A 2022 study published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism found that those on a 2.4mg dose of semaglutide regained two-thirds of the weight they had lost in the first year when their appetite returned to normal after stopping the medication.

So, when prescribed by a professional to people battling diseases including obesity and diabetes, these medications can be powerful. But in the wrong hands..?

Let me tell you a tale of caution if you’re thinking of turning to this drug to quickly lose a few pounds before summer.