Semaglutide drugs, used to treat type 2 diabetes, also help with weight management. One such drug, sold under the brand name Wegovy, is approved as a treatment for overweight and obesity. But why do some people hit a weight loss plateau on Wegovy? We explore this topic with our expert guest In Conversation.

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Illustration by Diego Sabogal for Medical News Today.

Semaglutide, or GLP-1 receptor agonist drugs, are typically prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes to help them with blood sugar management by prompting their bodies to produce more insulin.

These drugs can also help with weight loss by suppressing a person’s appetite. At the moment, however, only one semaglutide drug is approved as a weight management aid in people with overweight and obesity in the United States and the United Kingdom. That drug is Wegovy.

Still, a significant number of people who use semaglutide report hitting a weight loss plateau that they find difficult to overcome.

How does semaglutide help with weight management, why do some people on Wegovy hit a weight loss plateau, and what are some issues to keep in mind when it comes to using semaglutide for weight loss?

In this instalment of our In Conversation podcast, Dr. Simon Cork, senior lecturer in the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Social Care at Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom helps us answer these and more questions.

Listen to our podcast episode in full below or on your preferred streaming platform.

For more information on the weight loss plateau on semaglutide, you can read our article, “Why weight loss drugs stop working and how to break past the Ozempic plateau.”