Semaglutide is an effective treatment for obesity, helping patients reduce weight and lose excess fat – even persistent belly fat. By increasing the proportion of lean body mass, semaglutide helps improve the overall body composition, reducing fat in all problem areas and supporting dramatic weight-loss successes. Side effects of semaglutide tend to be minimal, and many patients find that the benefits of the medication far outweigh these side effects. While many patients who want to address obesity or type-2 diabetes are good candidates for semaglutide treatment, the drug is not appropriate for patients with a family history of thyroid cancer or for people who are pregnant or breastfeeding.
While patients can regain their lost weight if they stop semaglutide treatment, their overall proportion of body fat will remain lower than their initial baseline ratio before treatment. Some patients successfully maintain weight loss after discontinuing treatment, after having learned healthier eating habits and developing new preferences during treatment. Your doctor will help you learn how to follow a healthy, balanced diet to support your semaglutide treatment and to encourage the likelihood of continuing this new, beneficial routine. Maintaining weight loss over the long term, along with learning how to supplement weight loss with exercise, can help reduce fat deposits while developing strong muscles and improving problem areas like the belly, making it appear more lean and flat.
During treatment, semaglutide is injected weekly by the patient. The medication comes in pens that contain pre-measured doses, making the injection process easier. The injections aren’t considered painful, though they may cause momentary discomfort at the injection site. Doctors recommend injecting semaglutide into a different area of the body each week, to reduce discomfort and bruising in any particular site. Your doctor will teach you how to inject the medication and show you where in your abdomen, thigh, or arm it’s best to place the injection pen. If you miss an injection, doctors recommend administering the dose as soon as possible if there are more than two days until your next scheduled injection. If it is within two days, it’s best to skip that week and wait until the next injection is due. If you need to miss more than two injections in a row, talk to your doctor; they may want to readjust your dosage for the next round or two of treatment to ensure optimal results.
Because semaglutide was initially developed to aid with diabetes maintenance, it’s not often covered by health insurance when used for weight loss, as this is considered an off-label use of the drug. Doctors can help reduce the cost of semaglutide by using the generic form of the drug, making the treatment more affordable for patients with obesity who want to take control of their weight loss and reclaim their overall health. While no weight loss treatment can target specific areas of the body, consistent, overall weight loss and the dietary changes supported by semaglutide can help reduce belly fat, diminish fat deposits throughout the body and in the blood, and improve blood pressure and cardiovascular health.