First ever study of obesity drugs reveals the best jab for weight loss

Using weight loss jabs or drugs to shed the pounds has become more popular in recent years and a new study recently pitted two drugs against one another to see which was more effective.

When it comes to weight loss jabs, many people’s minds go straight to Ozempic, and thats for good reason.

Despite the drug actually being introduced as a drug for people with Type-2 diabetes to help them manage their blood sugar levels, it has become popular for simply losing weight amongst celebrities.

This is despite the often forgotten negative side effects that can arise when misusing the drug.

But for those not wishing to jump on the Ozempic hype, they may have been turning their attentions to other drugs on the market used specifically for weight loss.

Weight loss jabs have become popular in recent years (Getty Stock Image)

The trial saw researchers look at the effectiveness of weight loss for drug Mounjaro and its rival Wegovy.

Reportedly, both drugs have proven to be effective at helping weight loss by tricking the brain into thinking you are full, ultimately meaning you eat less and burn fat stored in the body.

According to a report by the BBC, the trial was paid for by Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Mounjaro and involved 750 obese people with an average weight of 113kg (249.12 pounds).

They were then asked to take the highest dose they could tolerate of one of the two drugs.

What did the results of the study reveal?

While both worked at achieving weight loss, Mounjaro proved to be the more effective.

The findings, that were presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Malaga and in the New England Journal of Medicine, showed:

• 32% of people lost a quarter of their body weight on Mounjaro compared to 16% on Wegovy
• Those on Mounjaro lost an average of 18cm from their waistlines compared with 13cm on Wegovy.
• Those on Mounjaro had better blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
• Both had similar levels of side-effects.
• Women tended to lose more weight than men.

Dr Louis Aronne conducted the trial and commented about the findings.

He said: “The majority of people with obesity will do just fine with semaglutide (Wegovy), those at the higher end may ultimately do better with tirzepatide (Mounjaro)."

The trial found Mounjaro was the more effective for weight loss (George Frey/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Professor Naveed Sattar from the University of Glasgow said both drugs were good options for patients, but cautioned that this trial will likely see more people opt for Mounjaro in their quest to ‘lose as much weight as possible’.

He said: “Many will be satisfied with 15% weight loss… many want as much weight loss as possible.

“In the UK, tirzepatide sales privately are now well ahead of semaglutide – that's just a reality - and this paper will accelerate that I imagine.”

He concluded that while it is good to have these options, it may be better to take the approach of making society healthier in the first place, to stop people developing obesity.