Obesity Treatment Injection Obesity Clinic — From Wegovy and Saxenda to GLP-1
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title: "Obesity Treatment Injections Obesity Clinic — From Wegovy and Saxenda to GLP-1"
There are days when you let out a deep sigh in front of the mirror. Since diet and exercise don't always follow your will, moments come along where you think, "Should I try that injection?" I hear these words very often in the consultation room. Today, I will slowly explain how obesity treatment injections work in the body, the criteria by which they are prescribed at obesity clinics, and how this landscape is interpreted in traditional Korean medicine.
![A doctor character explaining in a friendly manner with open hands against a consultation room background. Medical charts or posters are placed in the back, expressed in warm tones]](/api/files/assets/2026-06/6bb20224.jpg?sig=73ec8b56d901dc159d03f190140e3b260203518353bb314cf8485e592b5e47a7)
![A human silhouette with status by BMI range indicated by arrow labels. Underweight, Normal, Overweight (25+), and Obese (30+) are clearly distinguished with colors, emphasizing the medical meaning of each range]](/api/files/assets/2026-06/e70c97b8.jpg?sig=10f8ce330742de238e34e8ebdf6f7c1bb1688d7a02d1081326c65eb4cb106562)
Why is there so much talk about obesity injections these days?
As soon as they open the consultation room door, the number of people who bring up drug names first, such as "Wegovy" or "Saxenda," has increased significantly. According to guidance materials from Asan Medical Center in Seoul, these drugs are all GLP-1 class obesity injections. They work by acting on the hormone pathways that regulate appetite, which leads to a reduction in food intake. Obesity clinics usually prescribe them as a package with diet and exercise therapy.
Prescription criteria are not set arbitrarily. In Korea, drug therapy is considered for those with a BMI of 25kg/㎡ or higher who find it difficult to lose weight through lifestyle modification alone, and some hospitals use a BMI of 30kg/㎡ or higher as the benchmark. In other words, medical intervention enters at a stage where health risks have accumulated, not at a stage of "I wish I could lose just a little more." This part is often consumed lightly, but I hope you remember that there is a clear entry line.
![Comparison table by drug: A table format with Wegovy, Saxenda, and Mounjaro as rows and administration cycle, initial dose, and average weight loss rate as columns. Emphasized so that numerical comparisons are visible at a glance]](/api/files/assets/2026-06/f583eefe.jpg?sig=8bdc1c55e398a3eeb4a1816a3aa833511be06f12256358d267841d2e7ddfc029)
![Average weight loss rate by drug expressed as a bar graph. The height difference between Mounjaro (20.2%) > Wegovy (15-18%) > Saxenda (5.7-8%) is intuitively compared with numerical labels provided]](/api/files/assets/2026-06/b8bf6c62.jpg?sig=b08b9667b61ebc61dd8b583e3924df0910582eb640a705ed80739d9c8b3bd93f)## Each medication comes in different shapes and frequencies
Even though they are grouped together as the same 'GLP-1 injection', the usage method varies slightly by medication. The obesity clinic information is organized as follows:
- Wegovy (semaglutide): 1 subcutaneous injection per week. Creates a flow where food intake itself decreases.
- Saxenda (liraglutide): 1 injection(s) every 1 day(s). Usually starts at 0.6mg and gradually increases.
- Injection sites are in the subcutaneous layer of the abdomen, thigh, or upper arm.
From materials organized by Chosun Ilbo, at 72 weeks, the average weight reduction rate was Wegovy 13.7%, Mounjaro 20.2%. Another source reported that Saxenda showed approximately 5.7~8.0% reduction from initial weight, and Wegovy showed 15~18% reduction. The numbers are tempting. However, in the clinic, you need to consider both the pattern when discontinuing the medication and the ability to tolerate gastrointestinal side effects.
Side effects commonly include gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and constipation, and they occur more frequently when increasing the dose. It is contraindicated if there is a family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN2). It is also not recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women. If you have pregnancy plans, it is advised to discontinue at least 2 months in advance.
How far have oral medications come
There are really many people who say, "I'm scared of injections." Just thinking about needles makes them dizzy. That's why oral-form obesity treatment drugs are also being rapidly developed these days. According to one industry media report, semaglutide oral formulation (Wegovy Pill) reduces the burden of injections with once-daily dosing, and effects at the level of an average 15% weight reduction have been reported based on high-dose semaglutide injection standards. For orforglipron under development by Eli Lilly, reductions of approximately 11% in the high-dose group and 7.5% in the low-dose group have been reported in clinical trials.
However, you will need to wait a bit longer before actually receiving a prescription in Korea. Rather than expecting to buy it at a pharmacy soon just because you heard news about a new drug, taking a calm look at the options available for your current body condition is often the faster path.
![Drug administration during (appetite suppression) → After drug discontinuation (appetite recovery) → Lifestyle improvement (habit maintenance) 3-stage sequence. Characters with different expressions/states shown for each stage with arrows indicating progression]](/api/files/assets/2026-06/d0e62a97.jpg?sig=64fa154ba2062746da41f6704c03ec86f0685f2416b85696394f72beaf2d97ba)
How Does Korean Medicine View the Same Landscape
When the topic of obesity injections comes up in the consultation room, I usually start by asking about the patient's appetite patterns and digestive flow. GLP-1 agonists are ultimately closer to 'signals that reduce food intake.' In Korean medicine, we look for the background reasons why those signals have weakened, within the patient's constitution and lifestyle. The type with accumulated dampness making the body heavy, the type with weakened spleen-stomach function unable to quit snacking, and the type with liver qi stagnation from stress all appear differently.
Therefore, Korean medicine weight loss (diet) looks together at 'why you keep wanting to eat' rather than 'how fast you can lose weight.' Even for those undergoing injection treatment, the way appetite returns after stopping medication determines which path lies ahead. At Baekrokdam Korean Medicine Clinic, we tend to organize this flow together through constitution diagnosis and lifestyle interview.
Things You Can Start Checking From Today
Rather than grand plans, let me go over items you can directly confirm within a week.
- Check your BMI position once. Whether it's 25 or above, or 30 or above, the weight of medical intervention changes.
- Count how many meals in a day you eat 'without being hungry.'
- If you're interested in injections or medication, it's good to assess in advance whether you can handle the side effect items (nausea, vomiting, constipation).
- If you have pregnancy plans, you need to keep in mind discontinuing medication at least 2 months in advance.
- Also sketch out the post-medication diet habit scenario together. If that picture is empty, rebound tends to follow often.
Obesity medication injections are certainly powerful tools, but they don't solve everything with one tool alone. Results last when you also tend to your constitution, appetite patterns, and daily rhythm together. If there are aspects we can examine together in the consultation room, please feel free to inquire at Baekrokdam Korean Medicine Clinic. If you receive Baekrokdam Gambi-jung (tablet) and constitution counseling together, it will be considerably easier to organize the path that suits you between injection/medication treatment and the Korean medicine approach.
