Another weight-loss wonder drug?

I rarely talk about drugs in this space. But there are a few exceptions to this rule.

After all, I practice integrative medicine.

I pull from natural and conventional approaches to offer the best, individualized course of action. That includes some prescription medications.

Sure, I have plenty of drugs that I despise. But if there’s one category I love, it’s weight loss.

While there’s no substitute for eating right, a few game-changers have hit the market in recent years to help achieve weight loss goals.

And the latest option is one even my anti-drug patients are asking about…

Reel in your waistline

Tirzepatide® is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for Type 2 diabetes.

It comes on the heels of semaglutide… and research shows it might deliver the same results as bariatric surgery.

It’s basically a drug that makes you eat less. And I must say—the results are impressive.

The highest tested dose—15 mg/week for 72 weeks—was injected into 630 people. It ultimately produced a 5 percent or greater weight loss in over 90 percent of participants!

In fact, participant’s average weight was 230 pounds at baseline—which dropped between 35 and 52 pounds after 72 weeks (1.5 years).

Plus, 40 percent of people experienced at least a 25 percent reduction in weight!

Of course, this drug is not yet indicated for weight loss, so you might have to pay out-of-pocket if you want to take advantage of this potential benefit.

Lose weight, gain health

Maintaining a healthy weight can truly transform your health in countless ways.

In this study, participants also experienced reductions in waist circumference, total fat mass, long-term blood sugar (HbA1C), fasting blood sugar and insulin levels, triglycerides, and systolic blood pressure.

Now, this drug is NOT a cure. If you stop taking it without changing your relationship with food, your body mass setpoint will go right back up.

But if you need help getting started in your weight loss journey, by all means, ask your doctor about Tirzepatide®. Then, take some time to discuss your lifestyle choices, too.

Because those impressive effects that have never been seen with any other medical intervention? Well, they can be accomplished through diet and exercise… without the dangerous side effects that accompany some drugs.

(Since this is a brand-new drug, we don’t yet know the long-term side effects. We are already seeing potential links to pancreatitis, acute kidney damage, diarrhea, and vomiting—but more data needs to be collected to confirm causation of these symptoms.  So I advise cautious optimism.)

At the end of the day, to me, lifestyle changes will always be the clear choice.

Aim for 150 minutes of physical activity each week. Then, follow a healthy diet full of lean protein, fresh produce, and nuts.

For more detailed guidance, check out the January 2022 issue of my monthly Logical Health Alternativesnewsletter (“Scratch ‘weight loss’ off your resolution list for good”). Not yet a subscriber? Click here to become one!

Until next time,
Dr. Fred

Source:
“Tirzepatide Powers ‘Unprecedented’ Weight Loss in Obesity Trial.” Medscape, 06/04/2022. (medscape.com/viewarticle/975061)