Weight loss drugs and New Year’s Resolutions

Bismarck, North Dakota – Weight loss and fitness are two of the most popular New Year’s resolutions.

Wegovy and Zepbound, two weight-loss pharmaceuticals, had a surge in demand throughout 2023, and as 2024 approaches, it’s reasonable to assume that this need will only increase.

Internal medicine specialist Dr. Mathew Gerving of Sanford Health noted that he has noticed a rise in patient interest in weight loss pills. However, he cautioned that these medications’ effects are temporary if lifestyle modifications aren’t made.

“If you didn’t make the dietary changes, you weren’t exercising, you weren’t eating high protein, you lost lean muscle mass, and then when you come off of it, you actually gain back more adipose tissue than you had. Therefore, you’re actually in a worse spot at the end of the day, you’re at a higher cardiac risk than if you hadn’t used it in the first place,” Dr. Gerving said.

According to Dr. Gerving, another obstacle that patients may face is the expense of the medications because insurance companies are not always willing to pay for them in cases of weight loss. This means that therapy might cost anywhere from $800 to $1,300 per month.