Ozempic, weight loss injections and the affect on fitness industry

The UK government has recently issued more funding and accessibility for research into weight loss programs in order to make it easier for people to access weight loss drugs. This has started in an effort to lower the obesity rates, but what are these weight loss drugs? And how do they work? Well, we’ve done the research so you don’t have to.

Wegovy, the brand name used for Semaglutide, is a weight loss drug developed and owned by Novo Nordisk. Semaglutide works in terms of weight loss by suppressing a person's appetite. The drug has also been marketed under the name of Ozempic, which had been praised as the miracle celebrity weight loss drug.

Earlier this year the National Institute for Care and Excellence recommended the use of these weight loss drugs for adults with a body mass index of 35 and over and one related health condition, such as heart disease or high blood pressure. They are also recommended for people with type two diabetes to help manage blood glucose levels.

How does it work?

The active ingredient, retatrutide, in these highly popular drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, is a GLP-1 agonist. An agonist is a substance that mimics the actions of a neurotransmitter or hormone to produce a response when it binds to a specific receptor in the brain.

Retatrutide mimics GLP-1 and GIP, plus one other hormone: glucagon. GIP is thought to improve how the body breaks down sugar; glucagon reduces appetite and helps one’s metabolism run more efficiently. Retatrutide is attempting to harness the body’s own mechanisms that metabolise food and tell the body when to stop eating.

What are the benefits and side effects?

Results from a five-year study that show people with obesity or who are overweight that take the drug have about a 20% reduced risk of having a major cardiac event, such as a heart attack or stroke.

People feel full much more quickly but that can also lead to nausea, an increase in acid reflux or feeling uncomfortably full. Rare side effects include the risk of pancreatitis and, in rodent studies, a risk of thyroid tumours.

People who have uncontrolled diabetes can get retinopathy, a complication that involves damage to blood vessels in the eyes, and this can result in vision loss or blindness. During the clinical trials for Ozempic, a small percentage of study volunteers developed new or worsening retinopathy.

Is it accessible?

Major drug store chains in the United Kingdom plan to start selling Wegovy this year.

Under the current rulings by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency products containing Semaglutide are only available via prescription in the UK.

When it becomes available on the NHS, it will either be free or cost patients the standard prescription fee of about $10 per order, depending on the cost structure. Insurance plans do tend to cover these drugs for people with Type 2 diabetes or obese adults who have at least one additional condition.

What does this mean for the fitness industry?

As with many chronic conditions, most people who use the drugs for diabetes or weight loss will need to keep taking them to keep benefiting from them. This means that if someone’s ultimate goal is to lose weight, working out will still impact their goals.

There is however a shift happening in the fitness industry from using fitness for only fat loss to also using fitness for health benefits and longevity. In order to follow this new medical advance in weight loss drugs, a trainer needs to focus on the health benefits of working out alongside attainment of an ideal physique. There also needs to be a focus on the impact of moving and working out both for physical as well as mental health. And not to forget, bringing in the importance of the effect of food and nutrition on the body as a whole.

As these pharmaceutical interventions become more prevalent, the fitness industry may see shifts in market competition, attracting new clients seeking comprehensive approaches to health and well-being.