The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new weight loss drug in June that has some physicians, including Palomar Health Board-Certified Physician Pegah Mashayekhi, MD, excited about its potential.   The Wegovy drug is receiving much publicity because it is the first drug approved for chronic weight management in adults with general obesity or overweight since 2014. In clinical trials, patients showed an average weight loss of about 15% of their body weight, compared to the control group who only lost 2.4%, double the average weight loss for other approved drugs, Dr. Mashayekhi said. In the clinical study, the control group did everything the test group did except they took a placebo instead of the drug.   Wegovy mimics a gut hormone, which makes you feel full for longer by delaying the emptying of your stomach and affects the area of the brain responsible for feeling hungry. The drug is administered through a shot ...