Tara Rothenhoefer said when she sits down to the Thanksgiving table this year, instead of stressing about the food on the table, she imagines herself enjoying it.
Rothenhoefer credits Munjaro for that change, saying the drug helped her lose more than 200 pounds.
Before taking Munjaro, Rothenhoefer said she would worry about making “good choices” when it comes to food during holidays like Thanksgiving, which often involve large meals.
“I’m really focused on the whole diet, not the holidays,” Rothenhoefer told Good Morning America, adding about the changes she’s seen since starting the medication. “To have more fun, and I want you to know, I still eat the foods I like. I just try not to eat as much.”
Similarly, Joe Sapone, who lost more than 100 pounds on Munjaro Island, told “GMA” that for him, gathering for holidays like Thanksgiving is more about company than food. .
“My enjoyment hasn’t diminished at all,” he said. “That’s because being with family and friends is just as important as eating food.”
Munjaro and other drugs used for weight loss, such as Ozempic and Wigoby, have become popular over the past year as they have been proven to change some people’s eating habits and help overweight and obese people lose weight. Its popularity is rapidly increasing.
Clinical studies have shown that users of this drug can lose 5% to 20% of their body weight over time.
Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro, works by activating two hormones naturally produced in the body: glucagon-like peptide 1, known as GLP-1, and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP). Masu. This combination is said to suppress appetite by slowing stomach emptying, prolonging the feeling of fullness, and slowing hunger signals in the brain.
Mounjaro, manufactured by Eli Lilly, is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes. Early this month, FDA approves drug Zepbound It is used to treat obesity and contains the same active ingredient tirzepatide as Mounjaro.
The drug is similar to semaglutide, the active ingredient in Novo Nordisk’s drugs Ozempic and Wigovy, but because it targets two hormones involved in controlling blood sugar levels instead of just one. The action is slightly different.
Ozempic is currently approved by the FDA to treat type 2 diabetes in combination with diet and exercise when other medications do not adequately control blood sugar levels.
Details: First Ozempic came to lose weight, then to humiliation.
Wegovy is essentially the same injectable drug as Ozempic prescribed in higher doses. The FDA has specifically approved Wegovy for patients who are severely obese or who are overweight and have one or more weight-related conditions, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Possible side effects of all three drugs – Mounjaro, Ozempic, and Wegovy – include nausea and abdominal pain.
Read more: FDA warns about safety of Ozempic, Wegovy’s ‘off-brand’ versions
Dr. Katherine Saunders, a clinical assistant professor of medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City, says people taking medications for weight loss should be prepared to meet expectations when it comes to meals for important holidays like Thanksgiving. He said he needed to keep it.
“It doesn’t completely take away the pleasure you get from food,” Sanders told “GMA.” “This allows people to take a few bites and say, ‘I don’t need a big serving of this. I’ve had enough.'”
Saunders also noted that it can take time for people to get used to eating different amounts and types of foods when taking drugs such as Ozempic or Munjaro.
“It may certainly take some time for people to get used to eating differently or making different food choices when taking these medications,” she says. “So if you don’t change your eating behavior or what you eat at all while taking these drugs, that’s when people can develop problems.”