Ongoing shortages of popular weight loss and diabetes drugs in the U.S. have spurred fierce competition between established drugmakers and an emerging market of compounded versions as telehealth companies look to tap into the fast-growing industry.

Four key factors can greatly impact how much weight people lose while taking GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Victoza, and Saxenda. Here's what to know.

Semaglutide, the underlying drug marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy, works by mimicking a hormone that triggers the body to feel full. When the drug interacts with a receptor in the stomach, patients feel full sooner and for a longer period of time after eating. The drug does not cause weight loss directly – instead, it makes you want to eat less.

GLP-1 medicines like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound – popular across the US, help you shed pounds, but only if taken properly. According to experts, most of the people who take these weight loss drugs without consulting their doctor,

GLP-1 medications—like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Zepbound—can help you shed pounds, but only if taken properly. Don't get caught making these semaglutide slip-ups.

Many people are doing an end-run around their doctor's office, reaching out to potentially unreliable sources that promise to set them up with Wegovy, Zepbound and other weight-loss drugs.

The term "Ozempic face" is not a medical term, but some use it to describe this type of appearance after weight loss. Here what's fact and fiction.

Drug companies are under fire for the high cost of Ozempic and simlar meds. A doctor said patients who can't afford it may get riskier online versions.