Semaglutide, COVID-19 dietary changes top 2021 obesity news
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Healio and Endocrine Today editors have compiled the top news about obesity from 2021.
Readers were most interested in trial data on semaglutide (Wegovy, Novo Nordisk), how second-generation obesity drugs are changing treatment approaches, and dietary changes for people using a weight loss app during the first week of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Here are Healio’s 10 most-read obesity stories from 2021.
STEP 4: Significant weight loss maintained with weekly semaglutide
Data from the STEP 4 study revealed significant weight loss for adults taking once-weekly semaglutide compared with those taking placebo. From week 20 to week 68, participants in the semaglutide group had a 7.8% mean weight loss compared with a 6.8% weight gain for the placebo group, resulting in a difference of 14.8 percentage points.
Treat-to-target to improve cardiometabolic health with second-generation obesity drugs
The weight loss benefits exhibited by semaglutide in trials are changing the way providers approach obesity treatment. In a talk at the World Congress on Insulin Resistance, Diabetes & Cardiovascular Disease, W. Timothy Garvey, MD, FACE, MABOM, discussed how semaglutide and future obesity medications will allow providers to look beyond weight loss and treat other cardiometabolic conditions.
Adults using weight-loss app consume less fruit, more red meat during COVID-19 lockdown
Data from the Noom weight loss app revealed several dietary trends during the first week of the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020. In findings published in Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases, adults who were using the app during the first week of the lockdown reported eating less fruits and vegetables and more red meat and potatoes compared with before the lockdown.
Supervised Nordic walking improves aerobic capacity, muscle strength in obesity
A study published in Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases revealed that Nordic walking may lead to several health benefits for older adults with obesity. In a single-center, unblinded, parallel group randomized controlled trial, participants who took part in 6 months of supervised Nordic walking had larger improvements in aerobic capacity and muscle strength compared with adults who performed an ordinary walking exercise.
Novel obesity classifications can aid in tailoring weight-loss treatments
A one-size-fits-all approach does not work for treating obesity, according to a presenter at the Obesity Medicine Association 2021 virtual conference. Andres Acosta, MD, PhD, discussed how phenotype-guided obesity interventions can result in substantially greater weight loss compared with standard obesity care.
Access to obesity medications boosts weight loss in employer-based program
Adults with obesity participating in an employer-based program had a higher likelihood of losing weight when pharmacotherapy was added to monthly visits. In a study published in JAMA Network Open, Cleveland Clinic employees who participated in an employer-based weight management program had greater mean weight loss when anti-obesity medication was added to the program than those who took part in the same program without medication.
‘Be inefficient’ mindset may help adults with obesity achieve healthy body weight
A presenter at the Obesity Medicine Association 2021 virtual conference discussed why inefficiency is the key for losing weight. Harold Bays, MD, FOMA, described how inefficient activities and decisions can help adults with obesity achieve a healthy body weight.
Low-calorie ketogenic diet boosts testosterone for men with obesity
Eating a very low-calorie ketogenic diet could have a beneficial effect on insulin resistance and testosterone in men with overweight or obesity, according to data presented at the European Congress of Endocrinology. In data from a cohort of 17 men with overweight or obesity and without diabetes, participants had a mean total testosterone increase of 0.89 ng/mL and a mean increase of 10.94 ng/mL in serum sex hormone-binding globulin at 4 weeks.
Rare genetic variant may protect against obesity, provide new drug target
A rare genetic coding variant occurring in about 1 in 3,000 people is associated with decreased odds for obesity, according to a study published in Science. In an exome-wide discovery analysis, protein-truncating variants in GPR75 were associated with a 1.8 kg/m2 lower BMI, 5.3 kg lower body weight and 54% lower odds for obesity in heterozygous carriers.
Different forms of sugar influence hunger response in young adults
Sucrose may not be as effective in increasing hunger-suppressing hormones compared with oral glucose, according to a study published in The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. In an analysis of data from 68 health adults without diabetes, sucrose had a less robust rise in glucose, insulin, GLP-1 and peptide YY compared with oral glucose.
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