Recently, weight loss injections have been proven to be incredibly effective medical solutions to treating obesity for those who struggle to lose weight through traditional methods.
However, for many years, people around the U.S. and in the U.K. have been prescribed Phentermine, an oral medical treatment used in medical weight loss treatments to produce incredible weight loss results.
But how does Phentermine stand up against the other medical treatments used in clinically supported weight loss programmes?
We’re here to help you find out.
What is Phentermine?
Phentermine is a stimulant medication that comes in the form of an oral tablet. It is prescribed by clinical weight loss experts to patients who don’t see results with dieting and exercising alone, alongside a supported plan and weight loss treatment programme.
The medication suppresses hunger signals in the appetite centre of the brain, which helps to curb cravings and make users feel full for a longer period after eating.
It is used as a short-term treatment for obesity, taken in three-month bursts in combination with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise. That’s because it is there to boost habit building, so that users maintain the healthy lifestyle changes they begin while using the medication.
Phentermine is available to those eligible and only when prescribed by a specialist weight health nurse or doctor. Is not recommended for long-term use to prevent reliance on the medication.
Eligibility depends on the person’s BMI, medical history, blood pressure, and further health indicators.
Phentermine, is also known colloquially as the ‘pink pill’, and was first introduced in the United States in 1959 as a treatment for obesity, so it has been around for quite some time.
How Does Phentermine Work?
Phentermine essentially stimulates the brain to release chemicals that control appetite, binding to the receptors that help regulate food intake to cause a reduction in hunger and therefore a reduction in calories. Additionally, phentermine increases the release of adrenaline and noradrenaline, which can help boost metabolism and increase fat burning.
Taking Phentermine helps a user remain in a calorie deficit, on a healthy diet, and therefore increasing the likelihood of weight loss success. At Bodyline, we have seen people lose up to a stone within just one month of taking Phentermine, helping them feel like a whole new person.
Contact Bodyline today to find out more about our safe and effective weight loss programmes and range of treatment options.
What are weight loss injections?
There are a couple of different classes of weight loss injections available for the treatment of obesity at the moment.
The most commonly known brand names of these injections are WeGovy, which contains semaglutide, and Mounjaro, which contains tirzepatide. Both of these injections have made waves in the medical weight loss industry because of their effectiveness in tackling obesity and bringing about incredible weight loss results.
To begin with, when semaglutide is injected into the body once a week it mimics the glucagon-like-peptide-1 hormone, known as GLP-1, which is naturally produced in the gut following mealtimes and tells our body we are full. The GLP-1 receptor agonist, semaglutide, is administered once a week by injection, and dosage is increased gradually.
The addition of hormones like these in the obesity treatment world have changed the scope of weight health completely, as it has further proven that our weight can be determined by factors outside of our control – no matter how much we eat.
Dr Morgan Toerien, one of Bodyline’s wellness practitioners said:
“GLP-1s like semaglutide work for obesity because an obese individual is either not making enough of these hormones to produce that full feeling naturally, or their body is resistant to the hormones so that they need a higher dose to get the same effect.
“If their body is not producing enough for them, using these therapies essentially introduces more into our bodies so that there’s enough of it to do the job, make us feel fuller, and reduce our calorie intake.
“This means it doesn’t matter whether you’re not making enough or whether you’re resistant to it; by adding more, it’s restoring the natural physiological process that our bodies are meant to perform.”
Semaglutide was approved by NICE to treat obesity in the UK for those with a BMI of above 35, or above 30 with weight health related problems, and it is titrated slowly over a period of time.
Both eligibility and titration are vital for patient safety, to ensure minimal side effects and potential adverse reactions. Semaglutide should only be prescribed by regulated and registered clinicians, doctors, and nurse prescribers in accordance with NICE guidelines.
Tirzepatide, however, has quickly become the most sought-after weight health medication as it has been seen to produce ‘unmatched’ glycaemic control and weight management.
This once-weekly injection has a dual-acting mechanism, mimicking two hormones to increase the likelihood of weight loss. Alongside GLP-1 receptor agonists, tirzepatide also mimics gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP), which is also known as glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide. By targeting two hormones, the chances of success are doubled.
But how effective are these weight loss injections when compared with Phentermine?
Phentermine vs weight loss injections effectiveness
Phentermine has been proven to be a very effective medical treatment method to tackle obesity for many years.
Studies show phentermine can help users lose between 5-7% of their initial body weight across a 6 month period. That means if someone is starting at 200lbs, they could lose 14lbs in 6 months.
However, it’s important to note that at Bodyline, we have also seen many of our patients lose up to a stone in their very first month on the medication. It depends on the effort and lifestyle changes put in place alongside taking the Phentermine.
But the pill’s effectiveness has appeared to be surpassed with the emergence of the medical weight loss injection.
Firstly, when semaglutide was studied in combination with diet and exercise, users were seen to lose 15% of their initial body weight on average over a 68-week period – that’s about 15 months total. To put that in perspective, a 200lb adult would have lost around 30lbs on average.
Yet the GIP/GLP-1 combination of tirzepatide has gone further, showing results far surpassing its opponents. Across many clinical trials, participants were seen to lose an average 20% of their starting weight when paired with diet and exercise. If they began at 200lbs, that’s a loss of 40lbs.
Phentermine is an effective weight loss medication for short term use, best used to encourage positive habits for weight loss and weight health maintenance long term.
However, weight loss injections like semaglutide and tirzepatide are effective for long term obesity treatment and management.
Depending on your desires and goals, all three medications are effective for weight loss when used alongside a holistic and fully supported treatment programme. We base our prescriptions, nutritional guidance, and weight loss advice on what works best alongside your lifestyle and medical history, which is why we pride ourselves on our bespoke personalised wellness services.
We don’t use a one size fits all approach, we offer a solution that works for you.Call us today on 0800 995 6036 or request a call back to find out what your effective weight loss solution could be.
