Healthline: Health Experts on Using Mounjaro for Weight Loss
Healthline recently interviewed Amanda Velazquez, MD, director of Obesity Medicine in the Department of Surgery at Cedars-Sinai, about the safety and effectiveness of Mounjaro. The medicine was approved last year by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat Type 2 diabetes, but physicians also can prescribe it for patients who want to lose a significant amount of weight, whether they have diabetes or not.
Mounjaro replicates hormones in the body that regulate appetite and blood sugar levels. It is similar to other popular weight loss drugs, such as Ozempic (also only approved to treat Type 2 diabetes) and Wegovy.
Velazquez told Healthline that the amount of weight a person can expect to lose while taking Mounjaro —and how quickly they lose it—depends on the individual.
“It is highly variable,” Velazquez told Healthline. “Every person is different with how fast they respond to losing weight on this medication. Per the research, on average, an individual can expect to lose 20% total body weight loss in a little over a year of taking Mounjaro in combination with a healthy lifestyle."
Velazquez added that Mounjaro is safe to take for weight loss, although as with any medication, there are possible side effects. Nausea and constipation are among the most common.
“Mounjaro is currently FDA-approved for long-term use in patients with diabetes, meaning it has shown to be safe for long-term use,” Velazquez told Healthline.
People who are interested in losing weight should first speak with their physician or a registered dietitian.
Click here to read the complete article from Healthline.