Health
New Wegovy pill offers needle-free weight loss — but may not work for everyone
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The first oral GLP-1 medication for weight loss has been approved for use in the U.S.
The Wegovy pill, from drugmaker Novo Nordisk, was cleared by the Food and Drug Administration to reduce excess body weight, maintain long-term weight reduction and lower the risk of major cardiovascular events.
Approval of the once-daily 25mg semaglutide pill was based on the results of two clinical trials — the OASIS trial program and the SELECT trial.
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The Wegovy pill demonstrated a mean weight loss of 16.6% in the OASIS 4 trial among adults who were obese or overweight and had one or more comorbidities (other medical conditions), according to a press release. In the same trial, one in three participants experienced 20% or greater weight loss.
The first oral GLP-1 medication for weight loss has been approved for use in the U.S. (iStock)
Novo Nordisk reported that the weight loss achieved with the pill is similar to that of injectable Wegovy and has a similar safety profile.
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“With today’s approval of the Wegovy pill, patients will have a convenient, once-daily pill that can help them lose as much weight as the original Wegovy injection,” said Mike Doustdar, president and CEO of Novo Nordisk, in the press release.
Novo Nordisk reported that the weight loss achieved with the pill is similar to that of injectable Wegovy and has a similar safety profile. (James Manning/PA Images via Getty Images)
“As the first oral GLP-1 treatment for people living with overweight or obesity, the Wegovy pill provides patients with a new, convenient treatment option that can help patients start or continue their weight-loss journey.”
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The oral GLP-1 is expected to launch in the U.S. in early January 2026. Novo Nordisk has also submitted oral semaglutide for obesity to the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and other regulatory authorities.
“Most side effects will be GI-related and should be similar to the injectable, such as nausea, vomiting and constipation,” an expert said. (iStock)
Dr. Sue Decotiis, a medical weight-loss doctor in New York City, confirmed in an interview with Fox News Digital that studies show oral Wegovy is comparable to the weekly injectable, just without the needles.
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Although the pill may result in better compliance and ease of use, Decotiis warned that some patients may not absorb the medication through the gastrointestinal tract as well as with the injectable version due to individual idiosyncrasies in the body.
“Most side effects will be GI-related and should be similar to the injectable, such as nausea, vomiting and constipation,” she said.
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“In my practice, I have found tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) to yield more weight loss and fat loss than semaglutide by about 20%,” the doctor added. “This has been shown in studies, often [with] fewer side effects.”
More oral GLP-1s may be coming in 2026, according to Decotiis, including an Orforglipron application by Lilly and a new combination Novo Nordisk drug, which is pending approval later next year.
One expert warned that some patients may not absorb the medication through the gastrointestinal tract as well as with the injectable version. (iStock)
“There will be more new drugs available in the future that will be more effective for patients who are more insulin-resistant and have not responded as well to semaglutide and/or tirzepatide,” the doctor said. “This is great news, as novel drugs affecting more receptors mean better long-term results in more patients.”
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As these medications become cheaper and easier to access, Decotiis emphasized that keeping up with healthy lifestyle habits — including proper nutrition with sufficient protein and fiber, as well as increased hydration — is essential to ensuring lasting results.
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“If not, patients will regain weight and could lose muscle and not enough body fat,” she said.
Fox News Digital reached out to Novo Nordisk for comment.
Health
LeAnn Rimes’ emotional reaction to jaw release therapy sparks widespread buzz
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Singer LeAnn Rimes has gone viral for her reaction while receiving jaw release therapy.
In a session with Garry Lineham, co-founder of Human Garage in California — a resource for self-healing practices — Rimes received an intra-oral massage, releasing the tension in her jaw. She seemed to instantly feel relief, sobbing on the table.
Jaw release therapy, which involves the massaging or stretching of muscles in the face, is popular for relieving TMJ pain, headaches and jaw clicking, according to experts.
LEANN RIMES BREAKS DOWN INTO TEARS WHILE UNDERGOING ‘DEEP JAW RELEASE’
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Lineham shared that stress has an immense impact on human health, especially on muscle tension and pain.
“We hold emotions in our body,” he said. “Emotions cause a sympathetic response or a stress response in the body.”
“When you release the jaw, instantaneously you come out of that fight or flight mode,” Lineham said. (iStock)
“Stress is one thing that impacts every disease, whether it’s emotional or physical, whether it is genetic,” he went on. “Stress is the thing that makes genetics pop. If you take away stress, those genetic markers no longer express themselves.”
STUDY REVEAL WHY CHEWING GUM MIGHT ACTUALLY HELP WITH FOCUS AND STRESS RELIEF
Clenching the jaw can create stress, which happens naturally with physical and emotional exertion, according to Lineham.
“If you clench your jaw and hold it there for three to five minutes … you’ll actually fire adrenaline and norepinephrine (hormones and neurotransmitters),” he said.
This sends a message to the body that you’re bracing for an “attack,” releasing hormones like stress, Lineham added.
“When you release the jaw, then instantaneously you come out of fight or flight mode.”
How jaw release works
Jaw release therapy targets the fascia, or the connective tissue that supports the body’s muscles, organs and joints. Stretching the fascia also allows the muscle to stretch, providing relief, Lineham said.
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“When you release the jaw, then instantaneously you come out of that fight or flight mode,” he said. “And if you’ve been there for a long time, like most people have, it instantaneously shocks the nervous system in a good way.”
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Dr. Justin Richer, oral and maxillofacial surgeon at Riverside Oral Surgery in New Jersey, shared the benefits and risks of jaw release treatment with Fox News Digital.
Jaw release therapy can help with facial pain and muscle tightness. (iStock)
Certain muscles in the body, such as the shoulder or back, can tense up and “overreact to problems that are going on within them,” said the doctor, who did not treat Rimes.
“Jaw release is almost like a massage or similar technique, to put pressure on the muscles and let the tension that’s built up just kind of relax away,” he said. “It’s not something that a lot of people do.”
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The procedure is most beneficial for those with symptoms of TMJ, facial and muscle pain, and tightness, according to Richer.
Some physical therapists and massage therapists offer this treatment, but Richer recommends seeking help from an oral-facial pain specialist or surgeon who “really understands the anatomy of the jaw joint.”
Dr. Richer recommends seeing an oral surgeon or specialist before seeking the procedure. (iStock)
“If it’s done properly, there’s very minimal risk,” he said. “What we get concerned about is undue manipulation of the joint, so either cracking or distorting or trying to forcefully move the joint . . . that can actually cause undue harm from an orthopedic perspective.”
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Despite the benefits, Richer stressed that this kind of therapy may be a temporary fix, as it could be treating only the symptoms of an underlying problem.
“Get a diagnosis first before you go ahead and start manipulating things,” he advised.
Health
Study reveals one simple eating habit that may help boost weight loss
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Losing weight might be as simple as sticking to the meals you know, a new study found.
People who ate the same meals more often lost more weight during a 12-week weight-loss program, according to a new study published in Health Psychology.
“Maintaining a healthy diet in today’s food environment requires constant effort and self-control,” lead author Charlotte Hagerman of the Oregon Research Institute said in a statement.
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“Creating routines around eating may reduce that burden and make healthy choices feel more automatic.”
Experts say maintaining muscle after 50 may require more protein than the minimum federal guideline. (iStock)
Hagerman and fellow researchers from Drexel University and the Oregon Research Institute analyzed food logs from 112 adults who were overweight or obese who tracked their meals in an app and weighed themselves daily, according to the study.
The researchers measured “routinized” eating in two main ways —how much participants’ daily calorie intake fluctuated and how often they repeated the same meals and snacks over time, according to the paper.
DOCTOR WARNS MANY AMERICANS EAT ‘FOOD-LIKE SUBSTANCES,’ NOT REAL FOOD
Those whose diets included more repeated foods lost an average of 5.9% of their body weight compared to 4.3% for those whose eating patterns were more varied, according to a press release from the American Psychological Association.
A man shows how much weight he has lost by holding out the waist of his jeans, symbolizing his successful diet. (iStock)
People who kept their daily calorie intake more consistent also lost more weight, according to the researchers.
Liza Baker, a Vermont-based nutrition expert and founder of Simply: Health Coaching, said the findings line up with what she has seen firsthand in more than a decade of working with clients.
“Removing the mental load of ‘What’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner?’ can make the wellness journey much more sustainable,” Baker told Fox News Digital.
A breakfast of oatmeal porridge with summer berries. (iStock)
She said repeat meals can reduce decision fatigue and make it easier for people to stick to healthier habits, especially when they are packing lunches, cooking at home and following a simple routine.
Baker said people do not necessarily have to repeat every meal to see benefits.
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“One can start by eating one meal that is repetitive, usually breakfast or lunch,” she said. “As results start to show, it’s then more conducive to increasing to two to three repetitive meals a day.”
At the same time, experts cautioned that the findings do not prove cause and effect. The study was observational, meaning it found an association between routine eating and greater weight loss but could not show that repetition alone caused the better results, according to the researchers.
Consistency — not variety — may be key when it comes to weight loss, researchers found. (iStock)
Baker also warned that repeat meal plans can backfire if they are not nutritionally balanced or if they trigger perfectionism.
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“Unless someone is well-versed in nutrition, setting up a repeat meal plan can quickly become a nutritional nightmare that leads to becoming deficient in one or more nutrients,” she said.
The study authors similarly noted that too little variety could come with trade-offs. Future research is needed to determine whether a more repetitive diet should be actively recommended as a weight-loss strategy, they said.
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Fox News Digital reached out to the study’s authors for comment.
Health
Prayer for Weight Loss Works: How Faith Can Help You Shed Weight Faster
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