BEIJING, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- A 58-year-old man surnamed Li, weighing nearly 100 kg, was among the first patients in China to use Semaglutide as a prescribed medication for weight loss.
Semaglutide is no stranger to Li, who has previously used it in another drug to manage his blood sugar levels.
Since Wegovy, a weight-loss drug with Semaglutide as its key ingredient, entered the Chinese market earlier this month, it has made headlines as a new tool for people like Li in the battle against obesity.
Li's doctor, Wang Cunchuan, recalled that just a day after Wegovy's launch, over 40 eligible patients came to the hospital in Guangzhou, south China, for consultations and appointments.
According to clinical data, Wegovy can achieve an average weight reduction of around 17 percent after 18 months of treatment. The drug is now available as a prescription medicine in hospitals and on multiple e-commerce platforms.
In addition to Semaglutide, Orlistat is another weight-loss drug available in the Chinese market.
Medication is among the approaches China's national health authority recommended in a recently released guideline for the multidisciplinary diagnosis and treatment of obesity.
The guideline, the first of its kind, underscores China's commitment to tackling obesity, a growing concern in the world's second-largest economy.
Official data showed that over half of the adults in China were overweight or obese in 2020, and the rate could reach 65.3 percent by 2030.
China is projected to spend roughly one-fifth of its total medical expenses on overweight and obesity by 2030, according to a research report of the Global Health Institute of Xi'an Jiaotong University, which was published in The Lancet.
Li Xiaoying, director of the endocrinology department of Zhongshan Hospital affiliated with Fudan University, said that obesity is the origin of many chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and certain forms of cancer.
"If obesity is brought under control, these diseases can be effectively prevented and treated," Li said.
The mounting concern has prompted the government to take concrete measures to curb obesity. A nationwide campaign to combat obesity is well underway, with weight management clinics being established one after another in hospitals across the country.
In 2008, China designated Aug. 8 as its National Fitness Day, and the growing public awareness of health has resulted in a boom in both the fitness and light food industries.
Over the past two years, China approved four weight-loss medications, which are described by some Western media as "miracle" drugs that might transform societies.
But experts warn the jabs are not a quick fix nor a substitute for a healthy diet and exercise.
Research shows that combining medication with lifestyle intervention is more effective than using either approach alone, said Luo Yingying, a physician at the endocrinology department of Peking University People's Hospital. Luo emphasized the importance of regular exercise and enough sleep.
Some experts warn that weight-loss drugs are not a panacea. Some Wegovy users have expressed concerns about side effects and the risk of regaining weight after stopping the treatment.
Instead of "miracle" drugs, the majority of those overweight might need medications with a milder, more gradual effect, said Mu Yiming, a physician at the Chinese PLA General Hospital.
"A medication is ultimately aimed at making patients healthier, improving their quality of life, and extending their lifespan," he said. "The focus is not on the body mass index; it's on the patient." ■