Obesity and overweight are worldwide endemic and the need for safe weight loss medication has only become greater as the issue has grown to be unrelenting with time.
As defined by the World Health Organization (WHO); Overweight “is a condition of excessive fat deposits” while Obesity is “a chronic complex disease defined by excessive fat deposits that can impair health. Obesity can lead to increased risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, it can affect bone health and reproduction, it increases the risk of certain cancers”. Obesity affects the standards of living of a person, such as the quality of sleep, breathing, or movement.
In this article we will explore everything you need to know about the Semaglutide Weight Loss chart and how it can be of help.
How To Know You Might Be OverWeight
In diagnosing overweight and obesity, a measurement is made of a person’s weight and height by calculating the body mass index (BMI): weight (kg)/height² (m²).
The WHO defines overweight and obesity in adults to be as follows:
overweight is a BMI greater than or equal to 25; and obesity is a BMI greater than or equal to 30.
So if you have not checked your BMI, you can do the simple calculation at home or visit a nearby clinic to help you determine your status.
The Increasing Need for Semaglutide Weight Loss
According to data from the WHO, as at 2022, 2.5 billion adults of 18 years and older were overweight, including over 890 million adults who were obese. This corresponds to 43% of adults aged 18 years and older (43% of men and 44% of women) who were overweight; a significant increase from 1990, when 25% of adults aged 18 years and older were overweight.
Given the factors and effects of the circumstances of overweight and obesity as mentioned above, it is therefore pertinent to strive to lose that excess fat.
However, obesity is a ‘chronic complex disease’ and merely going on a diet most likely would not just suffice, therefore medication will be needed for treatment of said disease and it’s in view of this that certain drugs have been created for weight loss. The newest of these drugs, still causing much excitement since its approval by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is the Semaglutide weight loss drug.
How Semaglutide works
Semaglutide works by decreasing your appetite and usually this drug is prescribed by the doctor along with a diet plan and exercises.
While using Semaglutide weight loss medications, you should know that it is not a ‘one fits all’ type of medication and so different people require a certain type to fit their own particular system. Therefore you should visit your health provider to make diagnostic evaluations on your body to decide whether the you can be on the Semaglutide weight loss medication and also to create a Semaglutide weight loss dosage chart for the patient.
The General Semaglutide Weight Loss Dosage Chart
Semaglutide is an injectable drug known commonly by its brand names such as; Wegovy® and Ozempic®and is designed such that it helps in reducing blood glucose to normal levels, as well as reducing appetite, increases metabolism, helps to burn calories and as a result lose weight. Therefore, you are to refer to your primary health provider to prescribe the dosage required for your treatment. However, as a general guideline, here is a widely accepted Semaglutide weight loss dosage chart for the patient.
| Dosage | Units | Weeks | Frequency | |
| 0.25ml | 5 | 1-4 | Weekly | Starting dose |
| 0.5ml | 10 | 5-8 | Weekly | Step up |
| 1.0ml | 20 | 9-12 | Weekly | |
| 1.7ml | 34 | 13-16 or longer | Weekly | Stay/Maintenance |
The above table is based on the Semaglutide Weight Loss Chart provided by Wegovy® for the use of Wegovy®, a brand named product of Semaglutide.
For a start, 0.25 ml is the dose to be used for the first month. Then that progressively moves to 0.5ml for the second month and then for third month the patient steps up the dose to 1.0 ml. For the fourth month and beyond (depending on the doctor’s prescription), the patient steps up again to 1.7ml and maintains this dose unless otherwise stated or required by the doctor to the patient.
Please do note that this is a general Semaglutide Weight Loss Chart, therefore it is in no way a substitute for a prescription by a certified healthcare giver, rather it is to serve as a general guideline towards the administration of the drug, Semaglutide. This is because we all have different systems and what might be required of one patient might very much be different for you and this means that a wrong application of drug might cause side effects.
Factors Affecting Dosage
In the administration of weight loss medications, certain factors and reasons must be considered in ensuring the proper dosage is given to the patient. The reason for this is to make sure that the safety of use of said medication is of utmost guarantee.
- Compatibility:You have to confirm if you’re compatible with the drug. Eg allergies, existing health issues, your body weight, and the common side effects of the drug itself in particular.
- Existing health issues in the patient: Before the drug is prescribed, you have to first disclose any existing health challenges including any terminal illness that you suffer from and also all the medicines you take to determine the right amount of dosage required to mitigate or lessen the impact of the side effects from Semaglutide.
Side Effects of Semaglutide
The following are serious side effects to be considered in the administration of Semaglutide;
- Inflammation of your pancreas (pancreatitis).
- Gallbladder problems and symptoms include; pain in your upper stomach (abdomen), fever, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), or clay- colored stools
- increased risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), this is especially in those who take medications for diabetes such as insulin or sulfonylureas. Signs and symptoms of low blood sugar may include dizziness or light-headedness, blurred vision, anxiety, irritability or mood changes, sweating, slurred speech, hunger, confusion or drowsiness, shakiness, weakness, headache, fast heartbeat, or feeling jittery.
- kidney problems (kidney failure); In patients with kidney problems, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting may cause dehydration which in turn may cause the kidney problems to get worse. Therefore it is important to take a lot of fluids in mitigating this effect.
- Serious allergic reactions including; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat;
- Problems with breathing or swallowing;
- Severe rash or itching;
- fainting or feeling dizzy;
- Very rapid heartbeat
- change in vision in people with type 2 diabetes.
- increased heart rate.
- Depression or thoughts of suicide.
Importance Of Doctors’ Supervision
In shedding weight, people try many methods in trying to achieve their desired results. However, it is common to underestimate the invaluable importance of medical supervision.
The importance of doctors’ supervision cannot be overemphasized because a doctor makes a thorough, comprehensive and experienced approach in monitoring the needs, medical history, and lifestyle of the patient individually, using them in creating a personalized weight loss program for the patient.
Another reason is for the guaranteed safety of the patient. There are so many bogus weight loss treatments masquerading as miracle treatment that at the end of the day only causes more harm to the patient rather than help. Doctor’s supervision allows for the close monitoring of the effects of the drugs, and quickly detect any side effects to the use of said drugs and it’s discontinuation to stop the side effects from getting worse.
To be under a doctor’s supervision also means that the patient will be provided with a source of motivation as the triumphs and joy of a successful plan will be shared with someone and the burden of an unsuccessful plan also won’t be beared alone by the patient. The presence of a doctor will ensure that a long term goal is made to ensure the sustained success of the result garnered from the weight loss program.
The effects of self adjustment dosage is such that the patient has no deep knowledge on how to ensure the safe use of the medication, taking into account the side effects that comes with it’s usage, which can have serious health ramifications and might even cause the death of the patient.
Benefits of Semaglutide Weight Loss
Some of the benefits to be derived from the use of Semaglutide include;
- That it helps improve metabolic health;
- It helps in losing weight safely;
- Most people who take semaglutide experience minimal side effects;
- It works by reducing hunger and cravings by lowering appetite;
- It also reduces your risk of developing type 2 diabetes;
- Also, Semaglutide is easy to use – just one injection per week.
Conclusion
Losing weight may be a tough, lonely, and crushing process for most people, and traditional methods such as diet and exercise will not produce the desired results. In light of this, medicinal weight loss may be necessary to assist the patient in losing weight. Semaglutide is a drug that can be used to achieve medical weight loss. The medication was developed to help patients with obesity. However, this medication is not a miracle cure. A medical practitioner’s knowledge will be required for you to fully understand this medicine and ensure its overall effectiveness.
Note: This article is written for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice.