O is for overweight Outsize OZEMPIC

Everything you need to know about all the new weight-loss drugs

- By Nicky Perks and Alexa Forbes

Have you had a look at the red carpet procession recently? Or seen any of the movies released in the past few years? Watched Oprah or Kelly Clarkson (who are open about their choice), or rolled your eyes and thought, 'Yeah, right' at the many other (less open) stars explaining the 'extraordinary effort and personal discipline' it's taken to get them looking so skinny after so many years of battling with their weight?

It's impossible to miss the results of the new weight-loss drugs. And it's equally impossible to overstate their effect. While Ozempic is the name most people recognise, it's certainly not the only weight-loss drug available - there are already many, and at least 150 more in development. Like it or not, we're living in the age of GLP-1 receptor agonists. Here are 10 things you need to know about them.

ONE

WHAT'S GLP-1, AND WHAT'S A GLP-1 AGONIST?

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is a natural hormone your gut makes when you eat that makes you feel full. It also helps with digestion, and the regulation of sugar in your blood. A GLP-1 agonist mimics and boosts GLP-1 in your body, so it activates your GLP-1 receptors and makes you feel full.

Semaglutide, which is the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, is an example of a GLP-1 agonist. While these drugs have been prescribed for type 2 diabetes for years, they've only relatively recently been prescribed off-label for weight loss. ('Off-label' is when a drug is used to treat a different condition to the one it was approved for.) Semaglutide studies have shown that participants lose an average of 15% of their body weight.