CHARLESTON, W.Va. — While West Virginians notably have the highest rates of obesity in the country, a doctor from WVU School of Medicine says there is hope of helping to lower obesity rates and turn the problem around through the onset of new drugs now entering the market.
According to the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Bureau of Public Health, West Virginia was at an obesity rate of approximately 37.7%, the highest in the nation. Obesity is classified as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or above.
However, West Virginia University School of Medicine Professor and Associate Program Director for Internal Medicine Dr. Laura Davisson came on MetroNews ‘Talkline’ last week predicting new drugs entering the market can now affectively target obesity in impactful and innovative ways.
Davisson said until recently, the weight loss drug Wegovy was the most affective treatment they had for obesity, producing about a 15% rate of weight loss in patients. She said Wegovy is more common with a drug used to treat Diabetes.
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“It is the same medication that is in Ozempic,” Davisson said. She said both Wegovy and Ozempic harness one hormone to control eating habits.
Dr. Laura Davisson
Davisson said, however, there are two new major drugs on the horizon that are specifically designed to treat obesity– they are called Retatrutide and Zepbound.
She said Zepbound was just FDA-approved about a week ago, and while it’s similar to Wegovy, it harnesses a total of two hormone receptors to trigger weight loss rather than just one, promising up to 20% of weight loss in patients.
Davission said Retatrutide is also not out on the shelves quite yet and is still being tested, but it too shows much promise in controlling obesity. She said it’s being deemed the “triple G,” as it targets as much as three different hormone receptors all starting with the letter G, and it shows potential of being able to achieve the most weight loss numbers.
“It’s very highly effective, we are very excited for that one to come out, because, we’re talking weight loss of up to 25%, which is really getting close to the kind of weight loss you see through surgical weight loss,” she said.
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Davisson said the new hormone treatments act as appetite suppressants, which she said reflects the novel way the medical field is looking at and approaching obesity– treating it more like a mental disorder rather than a physical condition.
She said there is an energy balance that is controlled by hormones in the body, but the obesity disease alters a person’s mental state when those energy levels drop, causing the person to perceive hunger and the food cravings they are having need to constantly be contained and suppressed by eating more. Due to this mental state, she said it’s really difficult for people who have hunger and cravings to ignore their body’s natural signals telling them when it’s time to start and stop eating.
“Instead of telling people to just eat less, the new philosophy is let’s actually control their hormonal signaling so their body’s not driving them to eat, and to eat certain foods that may not be the healthiest, so we work with some hormone receptors at the brain-level to actually control the appetite,” Davisson said.
She said the drugs also work some on the stomach-level, too, by slowing down food from emptying out of the stomach so it can produce the feeling of fullness more effectively.
Davisson said it’s a breakthrough time in controlling obesity rates and promoting effective weight loss solutions.
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She said all of the previous weight loss supplements which have been on the market for a longtime have shown to not be as scientifically effective as what these new treatments are showing.
“While you may have one or two people that have taken those products and have had success, we have not been able to replicate that in showing significant, sustainable weight loss, but now we have medications that can do this,” she said.
However, Davisson said there is one issue behind the new medication— it’s not accessible to everyone. She said most insurance companies nor Medicare covers them as they are expensive and insurance companies typically look at short-term treatments.
Davisson said because of this, the goal they are trying to achieve now is convincing insurance companies of the benefits behind the drugs linked to significant weight loss and improving people’s health, as well as encouraging them to consider what the cost is of not treating obesity in the correct way.
“That’s what most of us believe, is that it just makes sense,” Davisson said. “We have something that finally will work, it will improve health, it will prevent people from developing a lot of diseases down the road, so we should absolutely use it.”
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Davisson said the side-effects to Retatrutide and Zepbound are also proving to be completely manageable. She said they don’t work on their own, however, and will still require lifestyle changes and a comprehensive approach to weight loss.
Davisson went on to say these drugs are not for anyone who is not struggling with obesity who may just be needing to loose 10 to 15 pounds. She said traditional weight loss methods and lifestyle approaches are still most effective for people simply needing to lose some weight.
BRADSHAW, W.Va. — West Virginia Emergency Management Division’s FEMA partners will have a Disaster Recovery Center open starting Friday in McDowell County to help victims of the devastating mid-February floods that occurred across Southern West Virginia.
The DRC will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting Friday, March 7 at Bradshaw Town Hall, 10002 Marshall Highway.
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Residents impacted by the floods will be able to sign up to receive assistance for their homes and properties that sustained damage.
The DRC provides help to homeowners, renters, and business owners.
The center will continue to be open Monday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. and closed Sundays.
No appointment is necessary, and walk-ins are welcome. Residents can also apply for assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 1-800-621-3362, or using the FEMA mobile app.
For more information on West Virginia’s recovery efforts, please visit www.fema.gov/disaster/4861 and follow @WVEMD and @FEMARegion3 on social media.
Mesquite (Tx.) North Forney 2026 quarterback Legend Bey has been compiling a long list of scholarship offers at this stage of his recruitment and one of the latest to join the mix is West Virginia.
Bey, 5-foot-11, 185-pounds, already held offers from Ohio State, Notre Dame, Oregon, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor, TCU, Texas Tech, Arizona State, Cincinnati, Missouri, Pittsburgh, Mississippi and Michigan State, among others.
But the Mountaineers are now also involved after the coaching staff offered him.
Quarterbacks coach Rhett Rodriguez was the assistant that gave him the news and he made it clear that he is the type of signal-caller that the Mountaineers want on their roster.
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“He mentioned that I would fit well in the type of offense they run up at West Virginia,” he said.
While the Rivals.com three-star prospect is a versatile athlete, the Mountaineers are targeting him solely as a quarterback in the scheme with his athleticism and ability to throw the football.
Bey was named 10-6A offensive most valuable player after a junior year where he threw for 1,444 yards and rushed for 1,912 with 41 touchdowns.
“I was told I was being recruited to play QB,” he said.
Bey is looking into setting up a visit to West Virginia, along with checking out a number of his other options and is working on a date for when he can make it to Morgantown.
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“We should be expecting an official visit date really soon,” he said.
An economic development official from Upshur County has been named to the Leadership West Virginia Class of 2025. Upshur County Development Authority Director Brandon Tenney is one of 56 leaders chosen from a competitive pool of applicants across the state.
Pam Farris, executive director of Leadership West Virginia (LWV), emphasized the high quality of this year’s group.
She said, “The selection process is competitive since most applicants are qualified, but the individuals chosen this year have already made significant contributions in their careers and communities. We believe they stand ready to take their leadership to the next level and find effective solutions to shape a brighter future for West Virginia.”
Farris also highlighted LWV’s statewide mission.
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“Leadership West Virginia equips participants with a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our state and fosters collaboration and innovation to find viable solutions,” she said.
Chad Prather, chair of the LWV Board of Directors, underscored the importance of connections.
“Connection is the largest benefit of this program. It’s not just about individual growth but about establishing relationships that cultivate and motivate change. By bringing together talent, knowledge, resources and passion, we’re creating a statewide community of leaders that we can all count to bring success to the Mountain State.”
Now in its 34th year, the Leadership West Virginia program spans seven months and covers topics such as healthcare, education, energy, government and tourism. Participants explore different regions of the state, develop leadership and communication skills and join more than 1,600 LWV alumni.
LWV is a statewide education and leadership development not-for-profit program affiliated with the West Virginia Chamber of Commerce. Its goal is to cultivate visionary individuals who use their talents to inspire others and drive West Virginia’s progress. More information is available at www.leadershipwv.org.
The Class of 2025 includes:
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Omar Ahmad, Pullin Fowler Flanagan Brown & Poe PLLC (Huntington)
Jon Alexander, WV Air National Guard (Inwood)
Jeff Altizer, Skaff Engineering Company (Chapmanville)
Brittany Anderson, Bluefield State University (Bluefield)
Meridith Balas, West Virginia University (Morgantown)
