Weight-loss Medication Reduced BMI
After more than a year of weekly treatments, semaglutide, the active ingredient in the popular anti-obesity drug Wegovy, combined with lifestyle changes led to a “substantial reduction” in the body mass index of obese teenagers, researchers reported Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine.
A once-weekly injection of semaglutide or a placebo was given to 201 obese 12- to 17-year-olds from the US and other countries who were randomly assigned to the study. The medication’s dosage was the same as the dosage recommended for adults.
Before and during the study, both groups received lifestyle interventions consisting of nutrition and exercise counseling for weight loss.
After following this regimen for 16 months, the adolescents in the semaglutide-treated group lost an average of nearly 15% of their body weight, or about 34 pounds, whereas the youngsters in the control group put on roughly 5 pounds.
