What's Next for Ozempic?

Semaglutide and Tirzepatide aren't anti-addiction drugs; they manage blood sugar and modify the body's experience of hunger during the metabolic process. When you take these injections, you become "full" more quickly and remain satiated for longer periods after eating caloric food or drink.

Having been on both medications, this same feeling of fullness does not apply to low-calorie drinks like coffee, tea or diet soda, or very low calorie foods (I'm confident I could still tuck into a substantial salad of greens, although likely not with a rich dressing). Surprisingly, small amounts of "keto" alcohols don't trigger the reaction, although beer, wine and mixed drinks with sugary mixes certainly do.

These drugs appear to change the body's regulation of blood sugar, processing of caloric material in the gut, and signalling of those processes to the brain, but almost certainly will not work as a generic psychological or anti-addiction medication. It's just not about compulsion or obsession. It's about feeling full, physically.

[Edit: there have been some articles that state that these medications cut down on "food noise" mentally. My experience is that these medications cut down on thinking about needing to eat food generically due to the substantial reduction of hunger they create, but that thoughts of flavors or specific foods that would be pleasant to eat are unchanged. I still enjoy cooking, I just know I would not be able to eat as much of the resulting meal before being full.]