A Resource Guide for Medical Education on Weight Loss Injections

Weight loss injections, also known as anti-obesity medications, are prescription medications that can help some people lose weight. These injectable drugs work by altering brain chemistry to suppress appetite, reduce food cravings, or increase feelings of fullness. When combined with lifestyle changes like improved diet and exercise, weight loss injections may aid weight loss for some individuals struggling with obesity or being overweight. 

This comprehensive guide provides helpful resources for learning about the medical science behind weight loss injections. Discover informative articles from government agencies, medical journals, drug manufacturers, and health organizations explaining how these pharmaceuticals work. Use this guide to research the latest approved weight loss injections, their benefits and risks, and determine if these medications may be right for your weight loss journey.

Federal Government Resources

The following government agencies provide science-based information on obesity treatment and the approval process for weight loss drugs:

Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

• Overview of Approved Obesity Drugs
• FDA Drug Database:
  Search for consumer information on approved pharmaceuticals including weight loss injections.
• FDA Approves New Drug Treatment for Chronic Weight Management, First Since 2014
• FDA Approves New Medication for Chronic Weight Management

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

• Prescription Medications for the Treatment of Obesity

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

• Adult Obesity Causes & Consequences

• Causes of Obesity

• Obesity Basics

• Adult Obesity Facts

• Behavior, environment, and genetic factors all have a role in causing people to be overweight and obese

Medical Institution Resources

Top universities and medical centers provide scientific articles on weight loss injections:

Johns Hopkins Medicine

• The Pros, Cons, and Unknowns of Popular Weight-Loss Drugs

Mayo Clinic

• Prescription weight-loss drugs: Can they help you?

Harvard Medical School

• A New Treatment for Obesity

• Understanding new weight-loss drugs

Cleveland Clinic

• The New Anti-Obesity Drugs: What You Should Know

• Obesity Medicine Association: Top Weight Loss Medications

Medical Journal Articles on Weight Loss Injections

Cutting-edge research on weight loss injections from prestigious medical journals. Here are some insightful articles:

• “Pharmacotherapy of Obesity: an Update on the Available Medications and Drugs Under Investigation”, The Lancet

• “Effects of anti-obesity drugs, diet, and exercise on weight-loss maintenance after a very-low-calorie diet or low-calorie diet: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials,” from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

• “New Pharmacological Approaches for Obesity Management,” from Nature Reviews Endocrinology

• “Four Key Questions on the New Wave of Anti-obesity Drugs”, from Nature

• “Wegovy (semaglutide): a New Weight Loss Drug for Chronic Weight Management” from J Investig Med.

• “Weight Loss Outcomes Associated With Semaglutide Treatment for Patients With Overweight or Obesity“, from JAMA Network Open

• “Two-year Effects of Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity: the STEP 5 trial,” from Natural Medicine

• “Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity,” from New England Journal of Medicine

Manufacturer Resources

Pharmaceutical companies provide information on the weight loss injections they manufacture:

• Saxenda 
• Wegovy
• Ozempic
• Zepbound
• Contrave
• Qsymia

Explanatory Articles from Health Websites

Trusted health websites have consumer-focused articles explaining weight loss injections:

• WebMD

• Medical News Today

• Healthline

• EverydayHealth

• Good

• Drugs.com

• RxList

• MedicineNet

• VeryWell Health

News Media Articles

• “Interested in the new weight loss drugs? Here are 5 things to know” – CNN

• “Soaring Costs Force Ozempic Users to Stop Taking Weight-Loss Drug” – Newsweek

• “Weight-Loss Drugs: Who, and What, Are They Good For?” – US News & World Report

• “Weight Loss Drugs Ozempic and Wegovy Linked to Severe Gut Problems: Study” – Newsweek
• “Patients Grapple With Side Effects of Popular Weight Loss Drugs” – Washington Post

• “FDA Looking Into New Risks With Popular Weight-Loss Drugs” – US News & World Report

• “The End Of Obesity: New Weight Loss Drugs Provide Hope To Those Overweight” – Forbes

• “The Guardian view on anti-obesity drugs: treating a disease that modernity made” – The Guardian

• “These new weight-loss drugs are tempting – but here’s why I won’t use them” – The Guardian

• “Type 2 Diabetes Drug Tirzepatide (Mounjaro) Aids Weight Loss in People With Obesity” – Everyday Health

• “’You forget to eat’: How Ozempic went from diabetes medicine to blockbuster diet drug” – NPR

• “Study shows costly weight loss drug may also cut risks of heart attacks” – PBS NewsHour

• “How new weight loss drugs are changing the conversation around treating obesity” – PBS NewsHour

• “Weight loss pills for obesity: New guidelines rank best drugs” – Medical News Today

• “Obesity Drugs Lead to Muscle Loss—Pharma Companies Want to Fix That” – Wall Street Journal

• “The Pros and Cons of Weight-Loss Drugs” The Telegraph

• “Weight-Loss Drugs Come With Serious Side Effects, According to a New Study” – TIME

• “WeightWatchers Is Now Prescribing Weight Loss Drugs” – TIME

• “Oprah’s Done with the Shame. The New Weight Loss Drugs” – NPR

• “Drugs like Ozempic can help weight loss, but not without ethical and health concerns” – NPR

• “Six Reasons Why It’s So Hard to Get Your Weight-Loss Drugs” – New York Times

• “How Much Weight Comes Back After You Stop Using a Weight-Loss Drug?” – New York Times

• “New weight-loss drugs are out of reach for millions of older Americans because Medicare won’t pay” – Los Angeles Times

• “Ozempic, weight-loss drugs probed over reports of suicidal thoughts” – Los Angeles Times

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For those struggling to lose weight who may benefit from prescription medications, the expert physicians at Pritikin can advise if weight loss injections are suitable. Pritikin’s integrative approach first focuses on nutrition, exercise and lifestyle change for healthy, sustainable weight loss. Medications may play a helpful supporting role for some individuals.
Learn more about Pritikin’s results-driven weight loss programs at pritikin.com. Pritikin provides all the tools for long-lasting weight loss success. Book a Consult with a Program Advisor here.