Struggling with obesity is no walk in the park. It crushes your self-esteem and messes with your body image, not to mention that some people might even develop anxiety and depression. Recent developments have made the weight loss process a bit easier with drugs like Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Wegovy.
Earlier this year, the BBC reported that there were around 1.5 million people using weight loss drugs in the UK. The results are already pouring in on social media, with people sharing their weight loss journeys online. We has collected the most inspiring before-and-after pictures from the “Mounjaro effect” trend, so we can celebrate these people’s efforts and wins together!
Disclaimer: these are personal stories that people have shared online that in no way constitute medical advice. If you’re thinking of using Mounjaro or any other medication, be sure to discuss it with your doctor or a healthcare professional first.
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What exactly is Mounjaro? Well, you’ve probably heard of its more famous cousin, Ozempic, thanks to celebrities who seem to be using it left and right. Developed as diabetes pharmaceuticals and known better by their brand names, namely Mounjaro, Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and others, these medications have changed the game for many people in their lifelong struggle with weight loss.
Although it might seem that Ozempic and Mounjaro do the same thing (make people lose weight), they’re actually different medications. Ozempic is semaglutide, and Mounjaro is tirzepatide. Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that activates hormones to control blood sugar levels (that’s why it’s primarily a diabetes medication) and reduces appetite.
But Mounjaro is newer and is a two-receptor agonist medication. That basically means that instead of activating just one receptor, the GLP-1, it activates a second one at the same time: the glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP).
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Tirzepatide (a.k.a. Mounjaro) was approved for use in May 2022. Researchers claim that, coupled with regular exercise and a healthy diet, tirzepatide can be prescribed to type 2 diabetes patients. Both semaglutide and tirzepatide are considered huge milestones in the medical field, with the Danish scientist Lotte Bjerre Knudsen receiving the Breakthrough of the Year Award for discovering semaglutide.
Tirzepatide was created by the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly, with the professor of biochemistry at the University of Indiana, Richard DiMarchi, at the helm. After Knudsen’s success in getting semaglutide approved for treating type 2 diabetes in 2017 and obesity in 2021, DiMarchi and his team combined two receptor agonists to create a more effective medication. That led to Mounjaro coming out as a medication to help with diabetes and Zepbound for obesity.
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How much weight do people actually lose when they use these medications? According to the medical trials, those who used semaglutide lost about 17-18% of their body weight. With Zepbound, the effects were even more impressive: patients lost up to 20% of their body weight.
Today, scientists at Eli Lilly are developing a receptor agonist that targets three receptors at once. Although it is still in the experimental phase, initial studies have shown that it helps patients lose around 24% of their mean weight.
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As with all medications, tirzepatide and semaglutide should be taken with precautions. Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, Katherine Saunders, warns that unwanted side effects may appear when the medications have been inappropriately prescribed. “It’s critical to start with low doses, and increase only as needed and tolerated. Dose titration must be personalized.”
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There are other reasons to be cautious about using Mounjaro, as well:
Technically, it’s not a weight loss medication, but it is meant for patients with type 2 diabetes. In the U.S., for example, the FDA has not approved it for weight loss. Zepbound is for people who are overweight or obese and do not have diabetes.Not everyone can afford Mounjaro, and using it for weight loss only causes shortages for diabetes patients.Both Ozempic and Mounjaro are relatively new medications, so long-term side effects haven’t been studied yet. Experts don’t know whether a patient will need to take the medication for the rest of their life to keep the weight off. Some patients have been able to retain their Ozempic or Mounjaro results; others have seen their weight bounce back. #16
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These type 2 diabetes and weight loss medications might also have unpleasant side effects. They include:
Allergic reactions to the skin, tongue, and throat.Vision changes.Dehydration and thirst.Irregular heart activity.Problems with one’s gallbladder.Pancreatitis.Thyroid cancer.Damage to the kidneys.Mild gastrointestinal discomfort (constipation, nausea, upset stomach, etc.). #19
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At the same time, GLP-1 agonists might reduce people’s risks of developing other diseases. Researchers claim that these medications can lower the risk of liver failure (24%), cardiac arrest (22%), respiratory failure (22%), Alzheimer’s disease (12%), heart failure (11%), heart attack (9%), and ischemic stroke (7%).
Still, the British Heart Foundation warns that patients who were taking GLP-1s were “2.5 times more likely to develop medication-induced acute pancreatitis.” Mounjaro, Ozempic, and similar medications also increase the risk of people developing arthritis and low blood pressure.
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You’ll probably have to decide for yourself if you think GLP-1s are good or bad. The biggest health organizations like WHO and CDC recognize obesity as a complex disease that is caused by genetic, environmental, behavioral, and societal factors. As the British Heart Foundation concludes, Mounjaro might have a wide range of benefits, but it poses some serious health risks, too.
A balanced diet and regular exercise are crucial for losing and maintaining a healthy weight. While there’s nothing wrong with getting a little help in the form of a GLP-1, it should be done with a doctor’s supervision and after considering all the pros and cons.
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Do you have any personal experience with Mounjaro or any other GLP-1 medication, Pandas? If you do, we would love to hear your stories, so share your journeys with us in the comments! And in the meantime, be sure to check out the things obese people shared that a non-obese would never understand!
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