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• Latest study suggests that slimming drugs may not be as beneficial for people with psychological consumption patterns.
• These drugs function by suppressing appetite, therefore they may fail to tackle overeating driven by anxiety.
• Medical experts must examine a person's connection with food prior to recommending weight loss medication or surgery.

Slimming medications prove to be less beneficial for individuals whose eating patterns are tied to emotions such as depression.

The conclusion comes from new study released on a recent date in a research journal.

Investigators observed that semaglutide-based medications like Wegovy were more effective for weight loss in people who consume excessively due to external triggers like the appearance or aroma of meals, rather than those who eat due to psychological factors.

The outcomes indicate that healthcare professionals ought to assess a person's dietary pattern prior to prescribing weight loss medications.

"GLP-1 receptor drugs prove beneficial for individuals who experience weight gain or elevated blood glucose readings due to overeating triggered by external stimuli. But, their efficacy is less in situations where psychological eating is the primary cause," stated a lead author participating in the research.

Experts who were not participating in the research agree that emotional issues should be treated before recommending weight loss drugs or bariatric procedures.

"It's not about excessive consumption. We need to tackle underlying issues beforehand," said a bariatric specialist.

"Each person is unique," added another specialist. "We must to understand who a patient is and what their reason is for excessive eating."

A dietitian participating in weight treatment commented: "This is a limited study but provided an interesting takeaway pertaining to emotional consumption and success in weight loss."

Emotional Consumption and Excess Weight

In their study, researchers tracked 92 individuals with type 2 diabetes who were starting treatment with semaglutide medications.

The team monitored the subjects’ results at the start, 90 days into therapy, and 12 months after treatment started.

Information was gathered on body weight, fat percentage, eating habits, and glucose markers such as glucose and cholesterol readings.

The researchers focused on three categories of eating behaviors:

• Psychological eating, where people eat in response to negative feelings.
• Environmental eating, where people consume because of the look or aroma of meals.
• Controlled consumption, where people control their diet to reduce body mass.

The scientists found that subjects in general experienced decreases in weight, lipid readings, and body fat percentages during the year therapy. Sugar levels also improved, but the changes were not significantly significant.

However, the outcomes were much pronounced for individuals with environmental consumption habits compared to those with emotional or controlled eating tendencies.

They noted that individuals with external consumption patterns had sustained improvements in their behaviors, while those with emotional or controlled eating patterns had reverted to their baseline habits after one year.

An specialist stated that dietary patterns are complicated. Individuals can consume excessively due to stress.

"Consumption is a multifaceted activity," the expert said. "People overeat for many factors."

Another specialist noted that it can be difficult for a physician to identify psychological issues, so those with potential eating issues ought to be assessed by a psychologist before any treatment is recommended.

The specialist noted that semaglutide medications work by reducing hunger cravings, but if a individual is overeating for psychological factors, then drugs and procedures might not the best approach.

"Reducing hunger may in the end fail to be that beneficial for certain individuals," he commented.

Another specialist emphasized: "Healthcare providers must to help patients identify the challenges. We must to guide individuals more effectively comprehend the triggers."

Dealing with Psychological Consumption

A dietitian stated that she addresses dietary behaviors differently depending on a person's particular concern.

Regarding psychological eating, the emphasis is on a person's relationship with food.

"Food can alter the way we feel, making us feel relaxed or comforted, but a lot of the items selected when eating emotionally are not healthy options, so the feeling is temporary succeeded by a drop and a need to eat more food to feel calm again," the expert stated. "

"It can be a difficult cycle because the item does not truly resolve and only offers a support that might contribute to other adverse outcomes due to a poor healthy, rich in ultra-processed food habit."

For external eating patterns, it is more centered on the triggers to which a individual reacts.

"Clinicians have clients who will get in their vehicle to obtain emotional eating foods (think junk food, takeaway, desserts) so the trigger is not in the home, but they are thinking about it," the specialist commented. "

"For some, it might be that they see, smell, or near a food and that is all it requires to consume it in large amounts. This is why dealing with the root reasons of psychological eating is so important."

For restricted eating habits, it is more about how eating is viewed.

"Part of a conscious, instinctive eating approach frequently means permitting foods into the eating plan every once in a while versus declaring ‘I can not have that item’ and then overindulging on it and feeling remorseful afterward," this specialist stated.

"Many like to look at food as not {good|