How are Weight Loss Drugs Changing Relationships With Alcohol?
When Lisa Rees took her first dose of weight-loss medication in April, she hoped she would end up losing a few kilograms. What she did not expect, though, was the side effect she has described as the drug’s “best benefit”: as well as eating less food, she has been drinking much less alcohol.
Lisa used to drink two bottles of wine on a night out, but now, after she has had a couple of glasses, the 46-year-old from South Wales finds that she “just physically cannot drink another drop”.
There is a growing body of research into the link between weight-loss drugs and alcohol consumption. The drugs, with brands including Wegovy, Mounjaro and Ozempic, contain semaglutide or tirzepatide, which mimic a natural hormone called GLP-1. This suppresses appetite and keeps people feeling fuller for longer, helping them to lose weight.
Excerpted from the BBC
