The Success of a New Generation of Weight Loss Medications

Learn more about non-surgical weight loss options

Mindy Grupe wanted to lose at least 100 pounds to overcome her health problems. Yet, bariatric surgery seemed a more extreme step than she wanted to take.  

Attracted by the success of a new generation of weight loss medications, she decided to explore this alternative.

“I knew I needed to lose weight, and surgical weight loss seemed like the ‘nuclear’ choice. I’d heard a lot of good things about the new semaglutide weight loss medications, so I decided to try that instead,” said Mindy of Bettendorf, Iowa.

Her health journey begins

Mindy went to the MercyOne Genesis Weight Management Center and discovered it had a program dedicated to non-surgical weight loss.  

Mindy weighed 302 pounds when she met Dr. Mahtab Ahmed in January 2024.   Dr. Ahmed, a specialist in obesity medicine, and the team focus on the four pillars of non-surgical weight loss: nutrition, behavior, physical activity and medication.  “All my doctors are with MercyOne Genesis. I trust MercyOne and since this is so important to me, I stuck with a name I trust.”

To qualify for the non-surgical weight loss program, you must have:

• A Body Mass Index (BMI) greater than 30
• A BMI of 25-29.9 with at least one medical condition

Mindy said, “I had prediabetes. I was undergoing a lot of testing to find the source of my constant migraines. I’ve since been diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension, and the only tried and true way to relieve some of the symptoms is – you guessed it – weight loss.”

She was also tired all the time and easily winded by everyday activities like walking upstairs, cleaning or playing with her daughter. Medication became a tool to help her lose weight, but it wasn’t a quick fix.

Effective weight loss tool

Weight loss medications like semaglutide work by making you feel fuller and reducing your appetite. Semaglutide, taken by a weekly injection, is also used to help control type 2 diabetes.

However, their use has some challenges. They are costly. Many insurances don’t cover them. They aren’t without some side effects.

“Usually, you'll have nausea in the first four weeks of taking it,” Dr.  Ahmed said. “If you continue to take it, it’ll probably go away. There may be some abdominal discomfort, constipation and diarrhea in some cases.”

As with many chronic conditions, most people who use the drugs for diabetes or weight loss need to keep taking them for their benefits to continue, he added.  

High costs and lack of coverage have motivated some people to go online for the generic compounded form of semaglutide. The Obesity Medicine Association, the Food and Drug Administration and MercyOne Genesis Weight Management Center warn against using the generic compounded form of semaglutide due to quality control issues.

‘Non-scale victories’

Ten months and 66 pounds later, Mindy is down to 236 pounds. She no longer has prediabetes. She can walk for miles and (mostly) keep up with her athletic nine-year-old daughter.  While her headaches continue, she hopes losing more weight will help. Her goal weight is 175 pounds.

She’s grateful for her non-surgical weight loss journey and her support system at the MercyOne Genesis Weight Management Center.  

“It’s hard but it’s possible. It takes a lot of willpower, but you learn little mistakes don’t derail the entire process,” she said. “The medications can take some getting used to but the support system through the doctors and nurses is there to help guide you through. And it’s all worth it!”

Mindy suggests having goals beyond a number on the scale.

“I use what I call ‘non-scale victories.’ They’re little things that remind me I’m still succeeding when the scale doesn’t necessarily say I am -- like wearing a smaller size of clothing, doing something I haven’t been able to do, or skipping a dessert I’d normally want and not missing it. These little victories remind me of how well I’m doing.”

For now, her victories include the ability to exercise more and to keep up with her active daughter who plays hockey. “She loves it!  I even went ice skating with her.  It didn’t go well, but at least I tried!”