Medicines for Africa I Weight Management Medications: What You Need to Know About their Use and Sustainability

GLP-1 Agonists: What are they?

Miracle weight management medications have been making the headlines around the world for helping people lose weight, but what do you know about how they work and their long- term sustainable use as a solution for weight management? We put together a short review to help you cover the essentials.

Weight loss medications like Wegovy are called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists, a type of medication that represents a significant advancement in the pharmacological management of obesity and type 2 diabetes. As treatment agents, they mimic the activity of the a hormone that the human body produces naturally called GLP-1. GLP-1 improves glucose-dependent insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon release, and slows down gastric emptying. Most importantly in weight management, it also modulates appetite through central pathways, leading to reduced food intake and significant weight loss.

How Well Do These Medications Work in Weight Management?

Clinical trials and real-world data have consistently shown that GLP-1 agonists can induce weight loss averaging between 10% to 15% of body weight. These outcomes are significantly superior to those achieved with lifestyle modifications alone, where typical weight loss ranges from 2% to 5%.

What are the Trends for their Use in Africa?

Because their usage is largely dictated by socioeconomic disparities and the variations in available healthcare infrastructure, their use across African continent remains uneven. In economically more stable regions, such as parts of North Africa and in South Africa, these medications are increasingly incorporated into clinical practice. However, in most African countries, issues such as cost, lack of medical personnel trained in diabetic care, and limited patient education get in the way of their widespread use. South Africa has been experiencing shortages of the diabetes management medication Ozempic, which also causes weight loss as a result of doctors prescribing the medication approved for diabetes management to help patients manage weight loss instead.

What Happens when Patients Stop Taking Them?

When individuals discontinue the use of GLP-1 agonists, a substantial proportion of patients experience weight regain. Research indicates that within 12 to 24 months after stopping, individuals can regain approximately 35% to 65% of the lost weight. This rebound effect is attributed to stopping the GLP-1 anorexic effects caused by GLP-1 agonists and a return to pre-treatment eating behaviors and calorie absorption rates.

Sustaining Weight Loss: The Role of Exercise and Diet

Simply taking the medication on its own is not enough. Based on empirical evidence it is important to integrate regular physical activity and dietary modifications during and after GLP-1 treatment and that doing so? improves weight maintenance. The regaining of weight after stopping GLP-1 therapy highlights the necessity of sustainable lifestyle changes. For instance, a regimen of moderate to vigorous physical activity for at least 150 minutes per week, combined with a balanced, calorie-controlled diet, can mitigate the metabolic slowdown and behavioral relapse typically observed after stopping the medication.

Take away message

While GLP-1 agonists provide a powerful tool for reducing weight and managing type 2 diabetes symptoms, their widespread use in Africa will depend heavily on improving access to healthcare and affordability of the medication. Moreover, for lasting weight management, these pharmacological interventions must be paired with robust support systems that promote and maintain healthy lifestyle choices. The scientific community and healthcare providers must work collaboratively to create an integrated approach that addresses these multifaceted challenges, ensuring that the benefits of GLP-1 agonists can be sustained over the long term in African populations.

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