If you live in Salt Lake City and are thinking about semaglutide, you may be weighing a few things. How does online care work? What results can you reasonably expect? What happens if you stop? This guide takes up the second and third questions through the trial behind the Wegovy label. For the state overview, see our Utah page, and for the basics of the medicine, see semaglutide medications.
How online care works
You start with a medical history. Dr. Le reviews it and decides whether a GLP-1 medication is appropriate for you. If it is, a licensed pharmacy ships it to you, and delivery takes 2 to 5 business days. Your first visit with Dr. Le is free. After that, you can message the care team any time, and replies usually come in less than 12 hours.
For the steps in order, see how it works. For a side-by-side look at the two main medicines, read semaglutide versus tirzepatide.
What STEP 1 tested
STEP 1 enrolled 1,961 adults with a body mass index of 30 or higher, or 27 or higher with at least one weight-related condition, and without diabetes. For 68 weeks they received semaglutide 2.4 mg once weekly or a placebo, with lifestyle support for everyone. The trial was funded by the manufacturer (Wilding et al., NEJM, 2021).
The average weight change from the start of the trial was about 15% with semaglutide and about 2% with placebo. Gastrointestinal side effects were the most common problem. They included nausea and diarrhea, and they were mostly mild to moderate and more frequent while the dose was rising.
Those numbers are averages. Some people lose more, and some lose less. The trial also does not predict how any one person will do.
What the label adds
The Wegovy label lists the common reactions in adults. In the trial data it reports, nausea occurred in 44% of people taking Wegovy compared with 16% on placebo, diarrhea in 30% compared with 16%, and vomiting in 24% compared with 6%. It also notes that gastrointestinal reactions were most frequent during dose escalation (Wegovy label).
The slow dose climb exists for that reason. Our guide to the semaglutide dosage schedule walks through the steps, and our post on your first month covers what to expect day to day.
What happened after treatment stopped
After week 68, STEP 1 participants stopped the medicine and the lifestyle program. A subset of 327 people were followed for another year. In that group, average weight loss at week 68 was 17.3% with semaglutide. By week 120, they had regained about two-thirds of the weight they had lost, and their net loss from the start was about 5.6% (Wilding et al., Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, 2022). The analyses in that extension were exploratory, and the group was a subset, so the figures are less firm than the main results.
The lesson is not that the medicine fails. It is that obesity behaves like a long-term condition, and stopping treatment has consequences. Our posts on how long you need to take GLP-1 medications and maintaining weight after a GLP-1 take up that question.
Who Dr. Le will ask about
Expect questions about your medical history, current medicines, and past reactions. The label tells prescribers to ask about personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2, pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, and kidney problems. Semaglutide carries a boxed warning about thyroid C-cell tumors seen in rodents. It is not known whether it causes them in people. Our guide to lab work before weight loss medication explains the tests that sometimes come up.
How to prepare for the first visit
- List your medicines and supplements. Include doses if you know them.
- Write down your health history. Include conditions, surgeries, and family history.
- Note your goals. Weight, energy, blood pressure, or a specific event.
- Think about what you have tried. Past diets, medicines, and what happened.
- Bring your questions. Cost, timing, side effects, and how check-ins work.
You can see plan details on the pricing page.
Living with Utah's seasons
Winter air quality and cold weather affect how people move, and summer heat does the same. Our posts on winter inversions and indoor workouts and altitude, hydration, and exercise give practical ideas for each.
Talk with your care team
Tell Dr. Le about your goals, your history, and any worry about starting or stopping treatment. Ask what a realistic plan looks like for you. You can message the care team any time, and replies usually come in less than 12 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to visit a clinic in Salt Lake City?
No. The process is online, and phone or video visits are optional.
How much weight did people lose in the trial?
About 15% of body weight on average over 68 weeks, with wide variation between people.
What happens if I stop?
In the follow-up study, participants regained a large part of the weight within a year of stopping. Talk with your care team before you change treatment.
How soon does the medicine arrive?
Once approved, a licensed pharmacy ships it, and delivery takes 2 to 5 business days.
Start with a free first visit
We serve patients in Texas and Utah. Your first visit with Dr. Le is free. Start here. This article is educational and does not replace medical advice.