Ask Dr. Lo: Is there a safe way to reduce my appetite?

Dear Dr. Lo,
I keep hearing about semaglutide for appetite suppression. How does semaglutide work? What makes it safer than its prescription weight loss predecessors?

Semaglutide: It’s a great question because diet drugs have a checkered history. In the past, the most effective weight loss drugs were amphetamine-like drugs (“speed,” phentermine, etc.). They dramatically suppressed appetite and gave people a very energetic, euphoric feeling (as you would expect with amphetamines).

So what’s the problem? Almost nobody keeps weight off in North Naples after they stop taking those drugs, and they can’t be used long-term due to pretty severe side effects and high risk of abuse/addiction. They’re still legal, but almost no reputable physician uses them anymore.

Fen-phen (combined fenfluramine and phentermine) was another craze. You may remember in the early 2000s. It was taken off the market when heart problems surfaced after its public release.

Semaglutide is different. It’s in the GLP-1 family, which was originally designed to treat diabetes, so it’s unrelated to any other weight loss medication. The GLP-1s have been around since 2008 — with no new warnings from the FDA during that time — so most doctors consider them to be very safe, even for long-term use.

Unlike those old-fashioned diet pills, Semaglutide in North Naples, Florida, slows down food absorption, making you feel full longer. You end up absorbing your food calories more slowly too, so your body has a better chance to use them instead of storing more fat.

Prescription weight loss guided by licensed medical professionals at RegenCen. To make an appointment with Dr. Lo’s team in North Naples, Florida, call or text 239.302.3540.