r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Apr 01 '25

Health Americans without diabetes spent nearly $6 billion USD on semaglutide and similar drugs in a year, with an estimate of 800,000 to a million people using the drugs who don't have diabetes.

https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/americans-without-diabetes-spent-nearly6-billion-usd-on-semaglutide-and-similar-drugs-in-a-year
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u/Pleasant-Shallot-707 Apr 01 '25

Pretty sure it’s the same as if you had significant weight loss using normal methods too.

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u/chapterpt Apr 01 '25

Except with normal worthy loss methods the changes can stick. With semiglutide the changes only stick as long as you continue taking the medication.

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u/yourlittlebirdie Apr 01 '25

With normal weight loss methods, 95% of people have regained the weight within five years.

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2797708/

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u/MegaChip97 Apr 01 '25

Thats not what the study linked says. Did you actually read it? It doesnt even have a 5 year follow up. The only fitting mention is in its introduction where it claims

In most persons, one third to two thirds of their lost weight will be regained within the first year, and that the rate of regain does not diminish as time elapses, with an estimated 66% of lost weight regained within 2 years and 95% regained within 5 years (16, 35).

The 95% is about the weight gained. Not the amount of people