How do weight loss drugs work?

First things first. Weight loss drugs currently available in the market work through 1 or a combination of the following mechanisms:

• Curb appetite: They affect various appetite-regulating transmitters, such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Phentermine is an example of an appetite-curbing weight-loss drug.
• Promote satiety: They do so by slowing gastric emptying (i.e., the rate at which food empties from your stomach) and/or mimicking hormones that tell your brain that you’re full. Examples of weight loss drugs in this category include Wegovy and Mounjaro.
• Block fat absorption from food: This category has only 1 FDA-approved weight loss drug. Orlistat. By blocking the enzyme that breaks down fats in your diet, orlistat significantly reduces your total calorie intake.

What’s the catch?

As mentioned, weight loss drugs work well. Very well. So, what’s the catch? As it turns out, there are several:

• You need a prescription. Barring Alli (which contains the active ingredient, orlistat), all weight loss drugs are prescription-only. This means you need to consult a doctor. And even then, getting your hands on a weight loss drug is not a guarantee — most doctors are only willing to write a prescription only if you have a body mass index (BMI):
  • ≥ 30 or
  • ≥ 27 and have weight-related health problems, such as high blood pressure or type 2 diabetes

• They’re expensive. In Canada, weight loss drugs are only covered by private health insurance plans when prescribed for type 2 diabetes. If you don’t have type 2 diabetes, expect to be slapped with an out-of-pocket cost of between $550 and $4,564 yearly.

• They’re not without side effects. Undeterred by the need for a prescription and the eye-watering cost? This might change things: weight loss drugs can cause side effects. Some are mild and tolerable (e.g., nausea and constipation), while others are more worrying (e.g., suicidal ideation, pancreatitis, and gastroparesis).
• Most of the weight loss drugs are injectables. Scared of needles? Bad news: most weight loss drugs require you to use a needle and inject yourself regularly (typically weekly) at home. It’s not for the faint-hearted.
• They’re meant for long-term use. What do you think happens when you stop taking the weight loss drugs? That’s right: the weight will come back on again. Meaning? You’ll have to take the weight loss drugs for years. Decades, even. Are you prepared for that?

How to approach weight loss instead

Now, this isn’t to say that you shouldn’t ever consider weight loss drugs.

They are useful and effective, particularly for overweight or obese individuals who just can’t seem to shed the excess weight no matter what they do.

But if you don’t belong to that group (e.g., you’re in the healthy weight and want to drop, say, a manageable 5 kg), your first course of action should be adopting the following healthy lifestyle changes:

• Eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet, prioritizing whole, minimally processed foods, fruits, and vegetables
• Stick to a regular exercise routine

Of course, you should always consult with your doctor on your best course of action.

Ginseng Supplement

To support weight loss goals, you could also consider supplementing with ginseng, a time-tested herb that has been shown to promote weight loss (naturally!) by suppressing appetite, decreasing your body’s absorption of fat from foods, and improving gut health.

Ginseng? Where would you even get that?

Great question. The answer is right here, on Grace Mountain, because we carry only the best 5-year ginseng — the creme de la creme of ginseng — from Ontario farmers. Go ahead and check our ginseng out.