Winning a losing battle

Hollywood's favourite weight-loss drug is now available on prescription in many countries. It will flood the Indian market soon. Is it worth it?

- VIR SANGHVI

Semaglutide was meant to be a drug for diabetics and is now a global rage. Drugs like Ozempic make people crave food less and have now turned into a drug for weight loss and appetite suppression. ADOBE STOCK

Do you sometimes run into (mostly well-off) people who have suddenly lost a lot of weight? And when you ask them how they managed it, the answer is always vague: "Working out a bit", or "Eating healthy" or something like that? But as most of them do not seem to have changed their lifestyles or habits, you begin to wonder how they did it. The answer, more often than not, is one word: Semaglutide.

If you haven't heard of Semaglutide, which is now a global rage, here is what it is. It's a drug that affects our satiety centres and tells us that we are full even if we have only eaten a little bit.

It is to fatties what Viagra was to impotent men. (There, I've said it.) When the drug was introduced, it was meant for diabetics, because it has shown dramatic results in treating Type II Diabetes. But as time went on, doctors discovered that patients on Semaglutide not only ate less, they also lost interest in food halfway through a meal. I have a slight problem with my sugars, but am fortunate to have a doctor, Ambrish Mithal, who knows what current international research says.