weight

“Losing weight does not automatically mean improving all aspects of health”

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We live in what many consider the golden age of anti-obesity pharmacology, since in recent years, medications based on GLP-1 analogues and other receptors, such as semaglutide or tirzepatide, have revolutionized the medical approach to excess weight, promising almost miraculous results. However, science indicates that losing a lot of weight does not automatically mean living better. A great study published in The BMJ has shaken medical expectations after analyzing mountains of clinical data. With all this, it has been concluded that, despite the drastic weight loss achieved by these drugs, the vast majority of them fail to significantly improve the quality of life of patients or substantially reduce cardiovascular risk after one year of treatment. How they have done it. The published research is not a small study, since we are talking about a mammoth systematic review and a network meta-analysis that has unified the data from 262 clinical trials in which around 100,000 people participated. In total, the effectiveness and risks of 19 currently available anti-obesity drugs, such as Ozempic, were put under scrutiny. The result. Although the effect it has on losing weight is undeniable, the data suggests that those medications that achieve greater weight loss are usually accompanied by a much greater toll in the form of side effects. It is precisely this toll, added to factors such as the loss of lean mass, that explains why, in trial surveys, patients do not report a notable improvement in their daily well-being despite having managed to lose weight. A complex puzzle. This latest macro study is not the only one that has attempted to shed light and shadows on these well-known treatments, since a meta-analysis published in Nature a few months ago specifically evaluated the comparative efficacy and safety between tirzepatide, semaglutide and liraglutide. The results already anticipated that clinical potency should always be weighed against the tolerability of each patient. The experts. José M. Ordovás, senior researcher at the Jean Mayer Research Center, sums it up perfectly in statements to SMC: “The study fits with what we already knew: some drugs cause significant weight loss, but losing weight does not automatically mean improving all aspects of health. The scale tells part of the story, but not the whole story”. For his part, José Pablo Miramontes González, an internist at the Río Hortega Hospital in Valladolid, points out that one year of follow-up is usually a short time to see miraculous improvements in heart attacks or mortality: “Cardiovascular risk does not depend only on weight lost, but also on age, previous diseases, blood pressure and lipids”. Images | freepik In Xataka | We believed that with Ozempic, people who lost weight exercised more. we believed wrong

Nintendo confirms when the new Switch 2 revision will arrive in Europe. And also that it will have less battery and more weight

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nintendo has confirmed that, starting this fall, a new revision of the Switch 2 will arrive in Europe. The idea is that, to comply with European regulations, the user can more easily replace the console’s battery. Although this change We already knew him for a few monthsNintendo has now offered more details about the release window of this new revision and how it affects the rest of the devices. Why is this happening now? The European Union approved in 2023 battery legislation that requires consumer products with integrated batteries to allow them to be easily removed and changed starting in February 2027. Nintendo, like any manufacturer selling hardware in the region, has to adapt before that date, and that is why it has already begun to make moves. In detail. According to has explained Nintendo itself through its official technical support, starting this summer several of its products in Europe will begin to be replaced “in a phased manner” by versions with replaceable batteries. The company assures that there will be “no difference in operation” between the current and revised models, although we will surely have to wait for this new revision to end up reaching stores to confirm that statement. The calendar you have shared is the following: Joy-Con controllers (some colors): since this summer, without changes in weight or battery capacity. Nintendo Switch 2 console: since autumn, weighing about 411 grams (10 grams more than the current model) and up to 548 grams with the Joy-Con 2 attached (14 grams more). Its battery goes from 5,220 mAh to 5,172 mAh, around 1% less capacity. Joy-Con 2 (separately): since this winter, with 2 grams more weight for each controller, without changes to the battery. Switch 2 Pro Controller: from this winter, with a 16% smaller battery (897 mAh compared to the current 1,070 mAh), although the controller will weigh 7 grams less. N64 and GameCube controllers for Switch 2: in early 2027, with slight changes in weight and, in the case of the GameCube controller, a slightly larger battery. Between the lines. Not all Nintendo products will go through this process. As they collect from VGC, the original Switch, the Switch Litethe OLED switchthe classic Switch Pro controller and other retro accessories such as NES, SNES or Mega Drive controllers. In addition, the user will not be able to choose which version they buy, so when the stock of the current model runs out, stores will begin to offer the revision with a replaceable battery. On the other hand, Nintendo has also announced that it will put battery replacement kits on sale for each product, although it has not yet given a date or price. Goodbye to the original Switch in Europe. As the company tells us, Nintendo has decided not to launch a new version of the original Switch in Europe. And instead of adapting it to the regulations, it will directly remove this console from sale in the region when appropriate. That doesn’t mean it’s now, but maybe in Europe we can already prepare for the end of Nintendo’s transition to Switch 2. And now what. Availability will not be the same in all European countries at the same time, according to recognize Nintendo. Furthermore, as could not be expected otherwise, Spain is among the markets where these reviews will arrive, as confirmed by the company. From here, what remains to be seen is whether these slight changes in weight and autonomy generate any real difference in the daily use of the console. In Xataka | In 1993, no one could find the supposed red ninja from ‘Mortal Kombat’. There was a reason: it didn’t exist yet

We have been told that drinking water on an empty stomach helps you lose weight. Scientific evidence says otherwise

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The Internet and social networks are full of supposedly easy tricks that promise almost miraculous results with a minimum effort for our body. One of these tricks is a habit that many people do as if it were a ritual: drinking a large glass of water, “yes or yes”, as soon as we get out of bed in the morning. This simple gesture promises to ‘wake up’ the intestines, activate the metabolism and promote weight loss. It’s a myth. What we hear on social networks is not always true, since we must face a large number of myths that have no scientific support behind them. And right now the best scientific evidence does not support this idea, Although it is true that drinking water increases our energy production. Thermogenesis. To understand where this widespread myth comes from, we must analyze the term “water-induced thermogenesis”, that is, the ability of our body to begin producing energy after drinking a glass of water. Here is a classic study In the medical literature it was observed that the consumption of 500 ml of water managed to increase the metabolic rate by around 30% during a period of 30 to 40 minutes. But although this percentage may seem incredible, the reality is that the acceleration of the metabolism translated into a total expenditure of 24 kilocalories. That is to say, its effect was so small that short-term weight loss was hardly going to be noticed due to this. It has been verified. Subsequent research in the fields of endocrinology and nutrition has attempted to replicate these data in different contexts. We have one of the examples in a clinical trial that evaluated the physiological effects in overweight or obese people, where an increase in energy expenditure of 24% was found for 60 minutes after ingesting 500 ml of water. But again it was seen that this slight temporary metabolic rebound does not imply a fat loss that is relevant in itself. On the scale. If now, instead of staying in the laboratory, we go to the real effect that this habit has on patients, we find that the narrative of water on an empty stomach as a slimming remedy loses much of its support, since the scientific evidence on weight loss attributable to water consumption is, in general terms, limited and of low to moderate quality. And the studies that have been done, despite pointing to weight loss, have a follow-up that is too short and a methodology that prevents giving a firm conclusion about applying this recommendation. The power of water. That dismantling the myth of a glass of water on an empty stomach is anticlimactic does not mean that hydration has no value in a weight control strategy. And the evidence suggests that drinking water helps to lose weight indirectly, since the mere fact of modifying the diet to go from a high consumption of sugary soft drinks or industrial juices to drinking water eliminates hundreds of calories a day with little effort. In addition, various trials suggest that drinking water before meals makes us feel full much sooner, which will reduce the amount of calories that we end up eating and, therefore, advancing a little further in the diet. Images | engin akyurt In Xataka | We believed that with Ozempic, people who lost weight exercised more. we believed wrong

We thought that Ozempic was only good for losing weight. Its last side effect is a brake on violent impulsivity

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If there is a family of medications that has made headlines in recent years, it is the GLP-1 receptor agonists, although they will probably be more familiar to you if we say ‘Ozempic‘ either ‘wegovy‘. These drugs began by revolutionizing the treatment of type 2 diabetes, but it was all a very effective way to ‘treat’ obesity. But soon after, scientists began to notice something fascinating when they saw that patients said they also lost the desire to drink. alcoholsmoking or nail biting. After investigating it. A new studyor have taken these first indications of the suppression of impulses one step further, entering the field of crimonology and have seen that it can be a way to reduce violent crimes. To reach this point, the researchers analyzed, through a survey, 821 adults who had used GLP-1 drugs at some point. After this, the study separately analyzed current users of these medications with former users to see exactly the effect the medication can have on points that go beyond food consumption. The results. What they found is not that Ozempic “reduces crime,” but something much more subtle: in current users, the association between impulsivity traits or alcohol consumption and violent behavior was significantly weaker. That is, the drug seems to act as a buffer, since in an unmedicated person, high impulsivity combined with alcohol consumption is usually a cocktail that facilitates aggressive behavior, since something that is well proven is the relationship between alcohol and violence. But in patients under treatment with Ozempic, this transition between “feeling the impulse” and “executing the violent action” seems to be attenuated, which could prevent the transition to committing a crime of intent. Because? To understand why a metabolic drug could have behavioral effects, we have to look at the brain, since GLP-1 agonists act on brain areas involved in the reward system and appetite regulation. The clinical context of this phenomenon is increasingly documented, since a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in JAMA Psychiatry demonstrated that semaglutide reduced craving and several drinking metrics in adults with alcoholism disorder. This medical trial has much greater causal weight than the criminological study and provides a solid clinical basis by pointing out that GLP-1 modulates our relationship with substances and immediate gratification. With violence. With all this we can make it clear that, if on the one hand alcohol is reduced and on the other the impulsivity felt when thinking about committing a crime, indirectly two of the main catalysts of violence are being reduced. The small print. With these types of findings, it is easy to fall into sensationalism and think that we are facing the ‘Clockwork Orange’ pill. However, it must be emphasized that the published study is observational and cross-sectional in nature. This means that a kind of ‘still photo’ of the situation has been taken without following up on the participants to see how their impulsivity evolves over time. Images | David Trinks In Xataka | We thought Ozempic was only for weight loss. Science is seeing that it can end alcoholism

Science confirms how many minutes of weight training per week reduce the risk of mortality

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For decades, when we thought about doing physical exercise, our minds almost automatically went to get older. cardiovascular activity. Running, swimming or cycling have been star recommendations to keep the heart healthy and extend life expectancy. Or at least live with a better quality of life. However, little by little we are normalizing the need to prioritize strength exercises at any age. How long. This is one of the big questions that anyone who needs to quantify the amount of exercise they do per day can ask themselves. There are clear recommendations, such as walk one hour a day at a brisk pacebut in strength we were quite orphaned. Now a new and monumental analysis has come to put exact figures on what until now were general recommendations, establishing a precise time window to maximize our years of life. What has been seen. The finding comes from a large observational study which has had 147,374 participants and exhaustive follow-up that has extended up to 30 years. Its good results have been published in the magazine British Journal of Sports Medicine. And when it comes to lifting weights or doing resistance exercises, intuition could dictate that “the more, the better”, but human physiology provides more limited metrics. The study data found that spending between 90 and 119 minutes weekly in resistance training routines was directly associated with lower overall mortality. In other words, spending between an hour and a half and two hours a week working our muscles is linked to a lower risk of dying from any cause. We have to be adjusted. What is truly revealing about this study lies in what happens when those 120 minutes are exceeded of weekly exercise. Anyone might think that the longer the time, the less likely you are to develop a major disease, but the reality is that above this time the benefits seem to stagnate. This shows that maximum efficiency is achieved in that limited period of time, demystifying the need to spend endless days in the weight room to obtain many more protective advantages at the metabolic level that allow us to extend our life a little more or make it of a higher quality. You have to combine it. Although strength training shines in this study, abandoning cardiovascular exercises would be a profound mistake. Here the research group itself pointed out that combining strength exercises with aerobic activity offered the best possible results, since this duality confirms that a hybrid approach dramatically maximizes long-term survival benefits. It’s backed up. In the past there were reviews that explored the relationship between training and mortality, this being one more that gives it much more strength so that it ultimately continues to be recommended for consultation to anyone, regardless of age. Because exercise here does not understand age, and strength exercise can be for the youngest, but also for the elderly who need to preserve their muscle to have a better quality of life in their last years of life. Images | Anastase Maragos In Xataka | In the fever to train strength, the gym has faced competition: more and more people train on the street

retatrutide destroys all weight loss records

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The pharmacological race against obesity continues to advance with the aim of finding a drug that allows weight loss in a simple way, and among the examples that we have on the table right now, Ozempic stands out. But now science is advancing a new active ingredient that in the first studies points to a average weight loss of 30.3% in 104 weeksa threshold that has never been crossed with other treatments and that can set a great precedent. The essay. The protagonist of this story is the retatrutida, and it promises to set a great precedent after this essay published by the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly. To understand the clinical magnitude of the finding, we must go to the basis of the study of the trial called TRIUMPH-1which has been specifically designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of retatrutide in adults who are obese or overweight. In addition, it has also analyzed the effect on patients who have associated diseases. How has it been achieved? Overcome the barrier that other very important treatments such as Ozempic or wegovy It is something that attracts a lot of attention, and the key to retatrutide lies in the mechanism of action. And while semaglutide (active ingredient in Ozempic) is an agonist of a single receptor, which It is GLP-1retatrutide acts as a triple agonist. That is, the molecule is capable of coupling to three hormonal receptors: GLP-1, GIP and glucagon. This triple pathway not only slows gastric emptying, suppresses appetite and improves insulin secretion, but direct stimulation of the glucagon receptor appears to increase basal energy expenditure. The latter is vital because, in addition to drastically reducing intake, it pushes the metabolism to burn more energy at rest. And this is the key. A predictable escalation. This is something that could already be seen that was going to arrive at some point, since previous medical literature already talked about the effects that this triple agonist could have. For example, in phase 2 of the trial, retatrutide had already demonstrated average weight loss 24.2% at 48 weeks with the maximum dose of 12 mg. But the key has come with the extension of the follow-up time up to 104 weeks, which has been the missing piece of the puzzle to verify if the therapeutic effect stagnated or if the patient continued to lose body mass with prolonged use. You have to be cautious. In an accelerated and highly competitive sector of pharmacology focused on obesity, it is necessary to know that this figure of 30.3% comes directly from the pharmaceutical company itself and not from a scientific source that has had a review behind it. Although the design of the trial is perfectly planned and the history of the clinical program provides a solid basis, there is still the publication of the definitive scientific article to analyze the “small print” and what logically does not want to be disseminated from a commercial perspective. It will be at that moment where key points can be revealed, such as, for example, the safety of this molecule and the exact metabolic impact. Images | freepik In Xataka | Ozempic’s great challenge is the rebound effect. Science already has two promising solutions to avoid it

We thought Ozempic was only for weight loss. Science is seeing that it can end alcoholism

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The famous Ozempic has been revolutionizing the treatment of type 2 diabetes for years and also has an important effect on obesity when it comes to helping patients lose weight by causing a greater satiety. However, the scientific community had long suspected that its effects went far beyond weight control and now, science has an idea that it may have an effect on alcohol. New advances. A new study published earlier this month in The Lancet ha proven that these drugs are capable of significantly reducing the days of excessive alcohol consumption in patients who have an alcoholism problem. Something that is a great milestone, since until now the evidence on the use of these drugs to treat addictions was based on small studies, but now a big change has been made by designing a trial with the maximum guarantees to find a clear relationship between taking Ozempic and the control of addiction. How it was done. For 26 weeks, researchers followed 108 adult patients who had both obesity and an alcohol use disorder. From this sample, the group treated with semaglutide once a week experienced a 41% reduction in days of heavy drinking, compared to 26% in the placebo group not taking the treatment. In addition, patients on medication consumed an average of 1,026 grams of alcohol per month, which is a significantly lower figure considering that the control group drank 1,550 grams of alcohol. And they both thought they were taking the same treatment, although that was not the case. It’s not magic. To understand why this happens, we have to go to 2023, where a study showed that semaglutide, which is the active ingredient in Ozempic, binds directly to the nucleus accumbens of mice. By doing so, it suppresses the release of dopamine induced by alcohol consumption, suppressing the reward circuit that generates satisfaction when you drink a little alcohol and that is the effect that addicts seek. In this way, if alcohol does not generate that chemical “high”, the desire to consume it disappears. The limitations. Despite the enthusiasm that this may generate for having a new treatment against alcoholism, which is an addiction that has great negative effects, we must put the brakes on a little. At a technical level, we must keep in mind that 108 people is still a relatively small group to extrapolate the results to the entire population. Furthermore, all patients who participated in the study were obese and white, which limits the generalizability of the results to patients of normal weight or other ethnicities. And as if those were not enough limitations, it should be noted that the trial was funded by the drug manufacturers and does not have follow-up data beyond week 26. Images | freepik freepic.diller on Magnific In Xataka | We thought that quenching hunger with Ozempic was the definitive remedy against obesity. Until we look at the muscle

We have been believing for years that intermittent fasting is the definitive weapon to lose weight. Science has another idea

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During the last years, the intermittent fasting has gone from being something exceptional to becoming a nutritional strategy that there is more and more talk and that it has more followers behind it. And it is no wonder, since the promise is quite seductive as it does not focus on what you eat, but on when you eat, activating different metabolic switches to accelerate fat burning. Although there are also detractors behind. New data. The Cochrane library, considered a great world reference, published a few days ago a great review about intermittent fasting that acts as a bucket of cold water, since it suggests that this diet does not offer superior benefits to conventional weight loss diets. The backup. We are not talking about a small study whose validity can be questioned, but in this case the Cochrane researchers analyzed 22 randomized controlled trials that added up to a total of 1,995 participants. overweight or obesity. The objective here was to compare different fasting modalities, such as going 16 hours without being able to eat with eight hours of eating, fasting on alternate days or 5:2 diet compared to classic calorie restriction or inaction. What they found is that, when pitting intermittent fasting against regular dietary advice, the difference in weight loss is virtually zero. The data. Getting into the matter, when intermittent fasting was compared With standard calorie-restricted diets, the mean difference in weight change was a minuscule -0.33%. This difference can translate into that intermittent fasting may result in little to no difference in weight loss with the traditional method. Regarding quality of life, such as the feeling of energy, no difference was seen and, regarding the levels of total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and triglycerides, fasting did not prove to be a panacea either, yielding results of “little or no difference” compared to the control diets. The small print. One of the most critical points of the Cochrane review is the certainty of the evidence, which they rated mostly as “low” or “very low.” This does not mean that the studies are poorly done, but rather that there are important limitations, such as risk bias, inconsistency in results, and lack of precision. But there is one fact that should worry anyone who decides to opt for this diet independently, without medical advice, since, although the evidence is uncertain, some studies pointed to associated side effects specifically to fasting. These include headaches, nausea, cold intolerance or even insomnia and lack of concentration. What is not yet known. Perhaps it is the most revealing thing about this scientific study, since there are still many unknowns surrounding intermittent fasting that invite further research. In this case, none of the 22 studies included data on “patient satisfaction,” which is important because we don’t know if people prefer to go hungry for a few hours in exchange for eating more later, or if they hate the process. And being comfortable with a diet is essential so that you don’t abandon it halfway through. In addition to this, none of the studies pointed to the relationship that may exist in chronic diseases that require significant dietary control, such as diabetes, and which is very common in the population. But one of the big problems in science today is duration, since most studies lasted less than 12 months. We don’t know if fasting is sustainable or safe beyond a year. It is not a miracle diet. What we do know is that intermittent fasting works, but the key point is that It is not superior to the tools we already had as a calorie restriction accompanied by a balanced diet and exercise. For the average patient, this is actually good news: it means that the The best diet is the one you can stick to. If someone finds it easier to skip breakfast with a 16:8 fast than to count calories at each meal, fasting is a valid tool. But if fasting causes headaches, you’re not missing out on any “magic” metabolic benefits from eating three times a day. Although in this process the most important thing is always to be advised by personnel who are qualified in nutrition to be able to have the best dietary plan, to have real objectives and, above all, not to get frustrated along the way. Images | VD Photography In Xataka | We believed that a vegetarian diet guaranteed longevity. In extreme old age, the data says just the opposite

Sparkling water has a “secret” to losing weight. And it has nothing to do with its nutritional properties.

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Sparkling water is one of those ‘rare’ options on the drinks menu that few people consume in our environment, but little by little it is gaining popularity. prominence in the dietary field. All thanks to a recent scientific publication that pointed to its benefits in order to lose weight with its consumption, although there is quite a bit of fine print under this premise. The study. The epicenter of this new wave of enthusiasm is placed in a study published in BMJ Nutrition where a fascinating hypothesis is raised: carbon dioxide dissolved in water could increase the glycolysis in the organism. A process that basically does is ‘break’ the sugar we have in our cells to obtain energy. In this way, we would be reducing one of the components that gives rise to the ‘hated’ fat that we want to avoid. As? Drinking sparkling water and having this happen is not something very ‘normal’ a priori. Science suggests that, when consuming carbonated water, the CO₂ that gives rise to those bubbles that we see on its surface passes into the bloodstream, where it could stimulate our red blood cells so that they use more glucose and therefore, it does not accumulate as fat. On paper, it sounds like music to the ears of anyone looking to lose weight: drinking water to burn off sugar. There is small print. The study itself is a brief report and the scientific community she has been quick to qualify it: Even if the mechanism exists, the isolated effect is too small to produce “miraculous” weight loss just by drinking water. In this way, we are not facing a great ‘fat burner’, but rather a metabolic curiosity that will hardly be noticed on the scale if it is not accompanied by other changes. The real trick. If sparkling water doesn’t magically “burn” calories, why do many nutritionists insist that it helps with weight control? The answer lies not in metabolism, but in fluid mechanics and satiety. This is not something new, but studies from 2008 already showed that carbonated drinks had a direct impact on the stomach. The first effect focuses on the distention of the stomach, since the gas takes up volume. Thus, when drinking sparkling water, there is greater distension of the ‘upper’ part of the stomach compared to normal water. This makes we get full faster and we don’t want to continue eating. There is more. But beyond filling us up faster, this distension sends satiety signals to the brain through the vagus nerve. That is why the bubbles “trick” the stomach, making it believe that it is fuller than it really is. In this way, the brain interprets that it is full and inhibits our desire to continue eating. thanks to chemical inhibition. Japanese investigations on oral stimulation with CO₂ suggest that this feeling of fullness can reduce subsequent food intake, although the effect is modest and short-term. The substitution factor. The strongest argument for sparkling water has nothing to do with CO₂ or gastric motility, but rather behavior. This is precisely what I was aiming for. a meta-analysis by McGlynn which reviewed what happens when we replace sugary drinks with calorie-free options. The results in this case are quite clear: replacing cola or packaged juice with water (with or without carbonation) reduces weight, BMI and body fat. And this is where sparkling water shines as a replacement tool, since for many people accustomed to the sensory “aggressiveness” of a carbonated soft drink, flat water is boring. And its impact. Sparkling water offers that oral stimulation, with the beloved sting of bubbles, without the “toll” of empty calories. If carbonated water helps you quit sugary sodas, that is the relevant clinical impact, not the fact that carbonated water speeds up the burning of sugars we have previously consumed. It’s not for everyone. Although hydration guides indicate that sparkling water hydrates exactly the same as regular water, it is not for everyone. That same mechanism that helps satiety (gastric distension) is the number one enemy for certain clinical profiles, such as for those who have gastroesophageal reflux or irritable bowel syndrome. Here, increasing the pressure of the digestive system can aggravate these diseases. Images | Anja Michal Jarmoluk In Xataka | The myth of “two liters of water a day” collapses: a mistake from 1945 that science is now trying to correct

Science reveals that the weight returns four times faster than with a diet

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The era of “miracle” drugs to treat obesity is entering a phase of crude scientific maturity, thanks to the time that has passed since its launch on the market. In this way, despite the years with big headlines pointing to great weight losses with Ozempic, science is now able to provide more answers to the key question What we should ask ourselves: what happens when we stop pricking ourselves? The problem. When a drug is newly released to the market, long term effects It is something that is not known exactly, since patients need to be taking them long enough to see the effects they cause. And above all the effect that exists when the drug is removed from the body. To answer this with Ozempic we have a study led by the University of Oxford which is not minor at all, since it has analyzed more than 9,300 adults in 37 different clinical trials. And the conclusion they have been able to draw is quite clear: patients regain weight when they stop treatment at a rate of 0.4 kg per month. The comparison. At first glance, this figure seems really low, but if we compare it with other methods to lose weight, we see that the magnitude of the problem is not minuscule. The study itself indicates that in behavioral programs, such as a diet and an increase in physical activity, the effect after its withdrawal is an increase of 0.1 kg per month. This way, the rebound effect of slimming drugs It causes you to return to your initial weight in approximately a year and a half, while a change in eating and sports behavior takes around four years. New generation drugs. But this is a simple average between the different medications on the market. This implies that within GLP-1 agonists we can see that the most powerful drugs also have a much greater rebound effect. For example, in the case of Wegovy or Mounjaro, where the initial loss was 14.7kg, the rebound was seen to shoot up to 0.8kg per month. An effect that tells us that the body tries to recover lost ground at twice the speed of previous generation drugs. Cardiovascular health. Beyond the aesthetic, science pointed out that these drugs had the ability to reduce the risk of heart attacks and improve the metabolic health. But it seems these effects are completely temporary. Specifically, the study has seen that approximately a year and a half after stopping the medication, the majority of cardiometabolic markers return to their levels before starting treatment. For example, blood pressure increases, diabetes markers reverse their improvement, and total cholesterol also returns to its risk levels. Why the rebound is so fast. The answer to this could lie in our own biology. Science believes that this effect is due to the fact that by injecting massive doses of GLP-1 agonists (a hormone that is produced in small quantities when we eat) we could be destabilizing our own cell receptors. Or we would even be blocking our body’s natural production of this hormone that gives us satiety. That is why when withdrawing the drugthe system does not have the ability to produce this hormone again in the same way as before (as if it had to turn the system back on) and that is why the body’s satiety system goes deaf. The result? Well, logically, the appetite returns with great intensity, causing the patient to eat much more food, since they are not satiated and in this way the weight increases again. The myth of the magic bullet. There are hardly any miracles in medicine, even though we say that these drugs are. And the reality is that these drugs are not the definitive solution for obesity, since real data indicates that the majority of patients stop treatment after 12 months due to its high cost, the fatigue of injecting or side effects. But in addition, there is no awareness that this treatment is a simple aid to self-regulation, but that logically it must be accompanied by a dietary change and physical activity that must be continued once the treatment is finished. If not, we can be sure that the injections will be of absolutely no use. A paradigm shift. This meta-analysis marks a turning point. Science tells us that GLP-1 is extraordinarily effective, but it is not a cure. If we treat them as a six-month “crash plan”, we are condemning the patient to a more aggressive yo-yo effect than any miracle diet of the past. The solution, according to Qi Sun and the Oxford researchers, is not only in the syringe, but in public policy: taxes on ultra-processed foods, aid in the purchase of fruits and vegetables, and urban planning that encourages exercise. Without a change in environment, the drug is just a temporary truce in a war the body is programmed to win. Images | David Trinks Towfiqu barbhuiya In Xataka | If you want a “miracle” weight loss drug, you no longer turn to Ozempic: the competition is beginning to surpass it

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