As part of the Diabetes Prevention Program clinical trial, researchers for the Annals of Internal Medicine journal studied the weight of three groups of diabetics as they went through differing treatments. One group of participants was given the medication metformin. Another was given an intensive lifestyle intervention. And the last group was given a placebo. These groups were observed for over a year, and results indicated that the diabetics with the greatest weight loss were the ones taking metformin.
While metformin is only given to diabetics to help them control their blood sugar, it could be the breakthrough that people with obesity and weight loss difficulties are looking for.
If you have a need for medical assistance for weight loss, this might be your answer.
If you happen to be one of these people who need medically assisted weight loss, then metformin might be a medication to keep your eye on.
Typically, weight is a hard thing to lose. Your brain can’t tell whether you’re losing weight for your health or because you’re starving. And as survival is the most crucial aspect to your body, your body fights to keep that weight just in case you are starving. It doesn’t help that some people may have genes that prevent them from losing weight easily.
So, seeing people lose at least 5% of their weight through continued use of metformin could mean this medication might help you break through your brain’s unfortunate survival tactics.
But why does this medication help you lose weight?
Well, in some cases, it’s suggested that metformin can promote weight loss because it lowers appetite levels. This is a side effect of the medication reducing blood sugar levels. Diabetics need to control their blood sugar levels as their bodies won’t do it naturally, and with overly high levels, their bodies start to feel excessively hungry, convincing these people to eat more than necessary. However, metformin halts this issue by preventing blood sugar levels from rising too high.
In the meantime, talk to your doctor.
While metformin has not yet been a confirmed weight loss prescription medication, there are still weight loss medications out there that might be a great fit for you. So talk to your doctor to see what’s available. Depending on your condition, your doctor may recommend alli® (Orlistat) or something similar.
Whatever you’re recommended, don’t worry about the cost. Yes, America has high prescription prices compared to most countries, but these prices can be avoided through legal means. All you have to do is ship your medication through a licensed international drug center or Canada drug center like Canadian Med Center, and from there, you’ll have access to pharmacies from outside the United States, where prescription prices tend to be much more affordable.
In the end, with this type of service, you’ll be able to access weight loss medication that should help make your wait for metformin a bit more bearable.
Nora Reynolds is a major in biology and a minor in Biological Basis of Behavior, writing about science in general. She also likes to try new gadgets and sports about the AI new era.
