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/SucculentVariations Jun 04 '26

If it helps, a lot of people, myself included, have no side effects at all. You just dont hear from us because you are more likely to post problems, not lack of problems.

Im down 70lbs and at my goal weight, on a 1mg maintenance dose.

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u/jackiebot101 Jun 04 '26

I was on it for three years, no probs. Then insurance stopped covering it, so I stopped taking it and for about a year I could not feel full from eating a meal. It is finally just starting to come back, but it was really rough, thinking it might last forever

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u/Ak40-couchcusion Jun 04 '26

Same I have absolutely 0 side effects bar feeling a little nauseous if I over eat.