NewsBite

Weight loss

February

The BSM gene increases the chance of becoming obese by 600 per cent.

Young and slim? You still may not be safe from middle-aged spread

A study of almost 4000 people investigated how a person’s unique genetic make-up affects their risk of becoming obese in midlife.

A shot of semaglutide, sold in Australia as Wegovy, can be used to treat heart disease under a ruling by the medicines’ regulator.

TGA approves weight-loss drug to treat heart disease

Regulators say the weight-loss drug Wegovy can now be used to treat more than 3 million overweight Australians with heart disease.

Vials of Wegovy at a Novo Nordisk production line in Hillerod, Denmark. Novo Nordisk argues government subsidies for its weight loss drugs will help Australia tackle obesity.

Big pharma steps up push for taxpayer-funded weight-loss drugs

Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly have used submissions to the federal government’s budget process to argue reducing obesity will be less costly than later treatment.

January

Intermittent fasting

How intermittent fasting helps you lose weight and live longer

A systematic evaluation of 40 trials concluded that intermittent fasting works, with a typical weight loss of three to five kilograms over 10 weeks.

Ozempic could improve 42 health conditions – and make 19 worse

A major US study says weight-loss jabs can increase the risk of haemorrhoids, low blood pressure, tendonitis and osteoarthritis.

Advertisement
Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro medication.

Price must be right to put obesity drug on the PBS

It is vital the gatekeepers of the scheme hold the line on the cost benefits of blockbuster drugs.

Eli Lilly’s headquarters in Indiana. The emergence of Mounjaro as an effective treatment for obesity has been a boon to the company’s share price.

Global pharma giants push for weight-loss drugs to be added to PBS

Eli Lilly will seek to have Mounjaro listed on the scheme this year. If successful, it would mean taxpayer subsidies for the popular obesity treatment.

xxx

The real reason men get belly fat (and how to get rid of it)

Research suggests it’s more harmful to be a man who is overweight than a woman who is carrying extra pounds.

Pharmaceutical companies are pouring billions into weight loss drugs.

It’s not just obesity. Drugs like Ozempic will change the world

It is early days yet, but glp-1 receptor agonists have all the makings of one of the most successful classes of drugs in history.

December 2024

Christmas meals in France are often fresh, locally sourced and avoid ultra-processed foods.

Don’t want to get fat at Christmas? Do what the French do

They don’t start stuffing themselves with mince pies as soon as the supermarkets begin playing festive music in September, for one thing.

A substantial breakfast is healthier than a tiny breakfast, a huge meal or skipping it entirely, says new research.

Why skipping breakfast in your 50s could actually make you fatter

But beware – people who have more than 30 per cent of their recommended daily calories in their first meal of the day are even more unhealthy, says a new study.

The weight loss and diabetes drug Ozempic is in short supply.

The five-day diet that cuts belly fat

Professor Valter Longo’s eating plan called “Pro-Lon” was awarded the first patent for “promoting longevity and health span”.

November 2024

MCT is found naturally in coconut oil.

The supplement that burns fat and boosts energy

Can MCT, a natural fat found in coconuts and palm oil, really help you lose weight?

Johann Hari’s new book recounts the weight he lost by using Ozempic.

‘Sounds like a comedy sketch, lunch with a person on Ozempic’

After a lifetime of being overweight, best-selling author Johann Hari lost 20 kilograms on Ozempic, but he says it’s much more than a weight-loss drug.

Once the domain of celebrities and influencers, it seems like everyone is now jumping on the Ozempic bandwagon.

We’ll all be taking Ozempic-type drugs ‘like we do daily vitamins’

Doctors say they have not seen anything like this since the emergence of statins to lower cholesterol. But do we know enough about the long-term impact?

Advertisement
Paul Mescal.

You can build the body of a (movie) Gladiator in just eight steps

Paul Mescal swapped his turtle-necks for tunics and added more than eight kilograms of muscle to play the lead in Gladiator II. Here’s how he did it.

We can eat more than we think we can and still lose weight.

I’ve tried 20 different fad diets, but this is how I finally lost 31kg

A former actor and model reveals how she slimmed down in a healthy way – and became an online health and fitness coach.

All free sugar can potentially damage your health, but sugary drinks are particularly bad.

What fizzy drinks really do to your body – and the worst ones for you

A single can of Coca-Cola or Monster Energy will put you over the daily recommended sugar limit. But artificially sweetened beverages may not be much better.

Bruce Springsteen performs before Democratic presidential nominee Vice President Kamala Harris speaks at a campaign rally at James R. Hallford Stadium, Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024, in Clarkston, Ga. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Is it healthy to eat just once a day?

Bruce Springsteen said he does, so experts were asked about the science behind the one-meal-a-day diet.

October 2024

Weight loss drugs are a good use of public money, the UK Labor government believes.

UK jobless to be given weight-loss jabs to get them back to work

For many people, these jabs will be life-changing, the British health minister believes.

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/weight-loss-1msw