SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) – Weight loss medications like Wegovy and Zepbound are gaining widespread attention for their dramatic results, and that demand shows no signs of slowing.
To help break it all down, ABC7 spoke with Dr. Scott Howe, medical director at Premier Weight Loss in Bradenton.
“These medications are changing lives,” Dr. Howe said. “People are losing more weight than ever, it seems.”
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So, what’s behind the popularity?
“We actually found a medication that actually works,” Dr. Howe explained. “People that come into our clinic have tried and tried, so many times, to lose weight, and they failed. So we finally found something that works.”
The two most common medications are semaglutide (branded as Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound). Each works differently inside the body.
“Semaglutide hits one receptor. It was the first one that came out,” Dr. Howe said. “Tirzepatide hits two receptors, and studies show that with tirzepatide, you get about a 32% weight loss compared to 28% with semaglutide.”
Both are effective. According to Dr. Howe, the best option depends on individual needs.
“If you don’t have a lot of weight to lose, semaglutide works just remarkably well,” he said.
But as interest grows, so do shortcuts. Some people are buying medications online, without a doctor’s guidance.
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Dr. Howe urged caution.
“I really don’t know exactly what they get online,” he said. “At our clinics, I’ve monitored 47,000 patient visits. I review labs, EKGs, and medication interactions. If there’s a problem, we deal with it right then and there.”
He says that the level of oversight matters and can make or break a patient’s success.
“Some health insurance companies are still covering it if you’re obese,” Dr. Howe noted. “But others are pulling back. It’s like Botox, so popular and widespread that insurers don’t want to pay anymore.”
Even so, the medications continue to grow in popularity. Dr. Howe believes that’s partly because the health benefits go beyond the scale.
“There’s overall improvement in health,” he said.
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