Some of the most popular weight loss treatments available share the same active ingredient: semaglutide. You can achieve significant results from weight loss injections containing semaglutide, but how exactly do they work? Let's explore what semaglutide is and the ways it affects your body to promote weight loss.
Semaglutide is the active ingredient in many well-known weight loss medications, including Wegovy. It belongs to a class of drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which are synthetic versions of the naturally occurring gut hormone glucagon-like peptide-1.
It was originally developed to help people with type 2 diabetes control their blood sugar levels, but it's since become an effective treatment for obesity. [1] Sold under the brand name Wegovy, semaglutide is approved for chronic weight management by the FDA. [2]
The most effective way to take semaglutide is a once-weekly subcutaneous injection, meaning you inject it into the fatty layer of tissue just underneath your skin. In clinical trials, this treatment plan is proven to help you lose up to 14.9% of your body weight. [1]
So, how do semaglutide injections for weight loss work? There are three main ways semaglutide affects your body and causes you to lose weight.
When you inject semaglutide, it binds to GLP-1 receptors throughout your body, activating them. In your brain, these are found in the hypothalamus and brain stem, which are areas involved in controlling hunger and satiety (fullness). By targeting these receptors, semaglutide makes you feel less hungry, and full for longer after you eat.
Along with appetite regulation, there's evidence that semaglutide can also influence food preferences. A study looking at weekly administration of semaglutide found that participants had fewer food cravings for high-fat and high-sugar snacks while taking the medication. [3]
GLP-1 agonists also slow your digestion time by delaying the movement of food out of your stomach after you eat it. [4] This leads to an increased feeling of fullness, which helps you reduce your food intake. [5]
After you eat, GLP-1 promotes insulin secretion from your pancreas, which increases insulin levels in your blood. This helps glucose, or sugar, move from your blood to your cells, where it's used for energy. When you have elevated blood sugar levels, this process helps lower them. GLP-1 also suppresses the release of glucagon, a hormone that stimulates your liver to release stored glucose when your levels are low. [6]
Semaglutide mimics this action, improving your blood glucose control. [7] By avoiding blood sugar crashes, which can lead to snacking, you're less likely to give into food cravings and eat less over time.
Every weight loss journey is different, and everyone responds to medication differently, so individual results from semaglutide treatments can vary.
Some people notice changes to their weight after just four weeks. One landmark study found people reported an average of 2% weight loss after four weeks of semaglutide treatment, increasing to an average of 4% after eight weeks and 6% after 12 weeks. Participants went on to lose 14.9% of their body weight after 68 weeks on the 2.4 mg maintenance dose. [1]
Many people also notice reduced hunger and fewer food cravings after three months on semaglutide. [3]
You achieve the best results from semaglutide by combining your treatment plan with lifestyle modifications, like reducing your calorie intake, eating a healthy diet and doing regular exercise. Making these changes helps you form habits that last long after you start treatment.
Semaglutide is designed for long-term use. If you stop taking your treatment, it's likely that you'll start to regain some or all of the weight you've lost.
Semaglutide is a prescription-only medication which must be supplied by a licensed healthcare professional. You could be eligible for a semaglutide treatment plan if you:
Compounded medications are personalized treatments made by combining and tailoring ingredients to your needs. They're made in licensed compounding pharmacies, who can create dosages and formulations of medicines that aren't commercially available.
At Levity, we prescribe a compounded form of semaglutide. It's the same active ingredient as Ozempic and Wegovy, so it has the same effects on your body as these medications. However, because it doesn't have a premium brand name, it's available at a much lower price than versions that are manufactured by large pharmaceutical companies. It's also less likely to be affected by supply issues and shortages, which are driven by the popularity of well-known branded treatments.
Semaglutide has been thoroughly researched and approved by the FDA, but compounded versions aren't subject to the same rigorous testing. Levity only works with compounding pharmacies that are LegitScript certified and regularly inspected to ensure they meet the highest quality standards.
Start a consultation with our clinicians today to see if you're eligible for treatment to support your weight loss goals.
*Compounded drugs are permitted to be prescribed under federal law but are not FDA-approved and do not undergo FDA safety, effectiveness, or quality review.
1. Wilding JPH, Batterham RL, Calanna S. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2021 Feb 10;384(11):989–1002.
2. FDA. FDA Approves New Drug Treatment for Chronic Weight Management, First Since 2014 [Internet]. FDA. 2021. Available from: https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-new-drug-treatment-chronic-weight-management-first-2014
3. Blundell J, Finlayson G, Axelsen M, Flint A, Gibbons C, Kvist T, et al. Effects of once‐weekly semaglutide on appetite, energy intake, control of eating, food preference and body weight in subjects with obesity. Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism [Internet]. 2017 May 5;19(9):1242–51. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5573908/
4. Silveira SQ, da Silva LM, de Campos Vieira Abib A, de Moura DTH, de Moura EGH, Santos LB, et al. Relationship between perioperative semaglutide use and residual gastric content: A retrospective analysis of patients undergoing elective upper endoscopy. Journal of Clinical Anesthesia [Internet]. 2023 Aug 1;87:111091. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0952818023000417?dgcid=coauthor
5. Flint A, Raben A, Astrup A, Holst JJ. Glucagon-like peptide 1 promotes satiety and suppresses energy intake in humans. Journal of Clinical Investigation. 1998 Feb 1;101(3):515–20
6. Holst JJ. The Physiology of Glucagon-like Peptide 1. Physiological Reviews [Internet]. 2007 Oct;87(4):1409–39. Available from: https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physrev.00034.2006
7. Garvey WT, Batterham RL, Bhatta M, Buscemi S, Christensen LN, Frias JP, et al. Two-year effects of semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity: the STEP 5 trial. Nature Medicine [Internet]. 2022 Oct 1;28(10):2083–91. Available from: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-022-02026-4
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