WITH several years of using Ozempic for weight loss under our belts, it's clear some people tend to respond better than others - and Japanese researchers have shed some light on whom.
They followed 92 people with type 2 diabetes who were newly prescribed GLP-1s and tracked their weight, body composition, diet, blood sugar, cholesterol and eating behaviours over a year.
The team considered three types of eating linked to weight gain: eating because food looks or smells good; eating when stressed, sad or bored; and restricting food to lose weight.
Most participants lost weight and body fat and saw improvements in cholesterol and blood glucose levels.
In terms of eating behaviour, at the three month mark, most reported eating less in response to emotional triggers and external cues, such as smell or appearance.
However, at one year, emotional eating had returned to earlier levels, while eating triggered by external cues kept declining - and ultimately it was the so-called external eaters who lost the most weight and saw the best blood glucose control.
The authors said that doesn't mean the drugs won't work for emotional eaters - but they may need more than a "miracle shot" to see real results.
Commenting on the implications of the study for obesity treatment, the authors stressed the importance of addressing underlying issues.
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