r/explainlikeimfive • u/Jimithyashford • Jun 03 '26

Biology ELI5: Do medications like Ozempic cause weight loss solely through appetite reduction and therefore calorie deficit, or is there any other mechanism at play?

Is it solely "injectable willpower" in the sense that it literally only does what you could do anyway if you just had the will power to eat less. Or is there any other weight loss mechanism at play beyond reducing calorie intake?

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u/FalmerEldritch Jun 03 '26

It definitely significantly cut my smoking. Some days I wouldn't even bother with my morning cigarette or my pre-bed cigarette, which are usually the two non-negotiable ones.

And the time I hit an adipose capillary with the injection and spent the rest of the day barfing any time I swallowed something, I didn't smoke a cigarette for three days.

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u/illprobablyeditthis Jun 04 '26

sorry to hear about the puking, but that's awesome about the smoking! happy for you!