New research reveals dramatic effect weight loss drugs have on the brain

Researchers have explored how using GLP-1 drugs for weight management affects our brain chemistry - and the results may surprise you.

There are a handful of FDA-approved prescription medications for weight loss in the United States, with some of the more recognizable names being Wegovy, Zepbound, and Saxenda.

Another favored medication among the masses is Ozempic - an injectable drug designed to treat Type-2 diabetes that isn’t approved by health authorities to help you manage your weight.

This hasn't stopped the masses - including some famous faces - from using the Type-2 diabetes drug to shed the pounds, with some listing reduced appetites, slower digestion, and no longer craving sugary treats and snacks as common side effects.

While these so-called ‘skinny jabs’ continue to surge in popularity and are even being stocked in Costco, there is still a lot of work going on behind the scenes to see what effect they have on our bodies.

A new report, published by semaglutide developer Novo Nordisk and market research firm Market Track, has found that weight-loss jabs can help shut down obsessive and intrusive thoughts about food.

A new report has explored how so-called 'skinny jabs' impact our brains (Getty Images/Tatsiana Volkava)

What is food noise?

Psychologist and disordered eating specialist Dr Charlotte Ord has categorized food noise as having ‘persistent, intrusive or repetitive thoughts about food’.

“We tend to become preoccupied with food when we experience food restriction through dieting. Our brains are wired to perceive this as famine – which is a potential threat," she explained to the BBC. "This drives our focus to renourishment, even when food isn’t environmentally scarce."

People who suffer from food noise may hear a constant, intrusive mental chatter about eating, or have unwavering thoughts about their diet, even when they're not physically hungry.

If you’re constantly thinking about food or if thoughts of your next meal or snack disrupt your daily life, it could be related to disordered thought or behavioral patterns, according to Within Health.

New research claims GLP-1 drugs tame food noise

Survey results claim weight-loss jabs help reduce food noise (Novo Nordisk)

Many Redditors who have used GLP-1 medications, like Wegovy, have said the injectables helped quieten their debilitating thoughts of food.

These claims have been backed up by a new report titled ‘Impact of food noise after initiating semaglutide treatment: results from a US survey’.

The study, presented last month at the 61st European Association for the Study of Diabetes Annual Meeting in Vienna, Austria, interviewed a cohort of 550 individuals who were currently using semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) for weight management.

Most of the survey group (81 percent) reported they had used injectables for at least four months, with 63 percent saying that before the injectables, they spent ‘too much time thinking about food’.

62 percent said they were constantly thinking about food throughout the day, while 53 percent alleged their thoughts about eating had felt ‘uncontrollable’.

After initiating semaglutide, their brains totally changed how they thought about food.

15 percent still said they spent too much time thinking about food (a 48 percent drop) and 20 percent claimed their diet had a ‘negative effect’ on their lives (a 40 percent drop).

Survey respondents said their wellbeing had improved since taking the medications (Novo Nordisk)

The study’s authors concluded that semaglutide may reduce the amount of food noise that is experienced by individuals who are living with obesity.

Other statistics included in the report saw 64 percent of the survey respondents agreeing with the phrase that their mental health had improved.

76 percent admitted they’d developed a healthier lifestyle after taking the prescription jabs.

It is not known if these latter improvements were related to the drop in food noise or to the participants’ weight loss, wrote Eurek Alert.

Expert weighs in on new data

Filip Knop, MD, PhD, senior vice president and incoming chief medical officer at Novo Nordisk, said that there were ‘so many factors that challenge people with overweight or obesity in their efforts to lose weight, including food noise’.

“It is very encouraging to see these new data from people using Wegovy that, in addition to weight loss, Wegovy may help quiet disruptive thoughts about food, support improved mental well-being, and help enable people to live healthier lives.”

While these survey results are promising, further research is needed to fully understand how GLP-1 medications affect brain function.

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