When Olivier Ziegler, head of the specialized obesity center (CSO) at the Nancy regional university hospital (CHRU) and professor of nutrition at the University of Lorraine, suggested that Stéphane test Wegovy, a new weight loss medication, he doesn’t hesitate for a second. It is September 2022. At the time, this 50-year-old executive (who did not wish to give his name) weighed 145 kilos. The former sportsman, a tall guy measuring 1.88 meters tall, says he gained weight over the years and a life that became sedentary. “Up to 100 kilos, I wasn’t bothered. At 40, I started having high blood pressure and sleep apnea. I was even out of breath to put on my shoes. My BMI [indice de masse corporelle, soit le poids divisé par la taille au carré]was at 41.”
On the Internet, he reads: massive obesity. A shock for this father. His wife forces him to go to the CSO of the Nancy CHRU. There, his bad habits are reviewed. “I became aware of what a healthy lifestyle was, the notion of food being synonymous with reward, the need for physical activity. I went from 2,000 steps to 6,000 steps per day. » In eight months, he lost 8 kilos. Alas, he takes them back on vacation.
The Wegovy literally changed his life. With a subcutaneous injection of a dose of 2.4 milligrams per week, Stéphane lost 25 kilos in eight months. Above all, from the first days, the feeling of satiety, which he had lost for many years, reappears. “Before, I was never full, I could devour three plates of pasta and four savory pancakes. My brain didn’t say “stop”, he says. I could no longer distinguish between desire or need. »
Wegovy is one of the latest therapeutic advances in the treatment of obesity. Like its big brother Ozempic (intended for diabetics), it is a drug that mimics the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormone, stimulating its receptor much more than the natural hormone. This new family of drugs, called “GLP-1 analogues”, notably includes semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and liraglutide (Saxenda authorized in France since 2021 but not reimbursed by Social Security).
“Not appetite suppressants, nor a miracle product”
They have an effect on satiety and therefore allow better control of food intake. “But be careful, these molecules are not appetite suppressants, nor a miracle productimmediately warns Karine Clément, professor of nutrition at Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital (AP-HP). The treatment must be comprehensive: modification of eating behavior, physical activity, psychological support if necessary…” Most clinical trials are carried out on this basis.
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