Semaglutide belongs to a class of medications initially used to treat diabetes by mimicking a natural hormone (GLP-1) that prompts the body to produce more insulin after eating. That, in turn, reduces blood sugar levels and impacts the areas of the brain that regulate food intake and appetite; therefore reducing your appetite and feelings of hunger. And yes, these drugs often come with the bonus side effect of weight loss.
Other prescription weight loss medications on the market that act on the central nervous system to suppress appetite (though by a different mechanism than GLP-1 drugs) include bupropion-naltrexone (Contrave) and phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia). None of these other drugs come close to the efficacy of semaglutide, according to experts and published studies.
Semaglutide helps to keep your blood sugar low, to allow fat burning to happen while also slowing gastric emptying to aid in appetite control and keep you feeling fuller longer.
Semaglutide is in a class of medicines called incretin mimetics which work by helping the pancreas to correctly release insulin when blood sugar levels are high. Insulin helps move glucose from the blood into the tissue around the body, which is then used for energy.
