Obesity is a chronic disease that affects more than 4 in 10 adults in the United States, and nearly 1 in 10 Americans have severe obesity.
Prescription medications to treat overweight and obesity work in different ways.
For example, some medications may help you feel less hungry or full sooner. Other medications may make it harder for your body to absorb fat from the foods you eat.
Weight management medications are meant to help people who have health problems related to overweight or obesity.
Health care professionals use BMI to help decide whether you might benefit from weight management medications.
Your health care professional may prescribe a medication to treat your overweight or obesity if you are an adult with:
a BMI of 30 or greater
a BMI of 27 or greater, and you have weight-related health problems such as high blood pressure NIH external link or type 2 diabetes
Weight management medications aren’t for everyone with a high BMI. If you are overweight or have obesity, you might be able to lose weight with a lifestyle program that changes your behaviors and improves your eating and physical activity habits.
A lifestyle program may also address other things that cause you to gain weight, such as eating triggers and not getting enough sleep.
Can medications replace physical activity and healthy eating habits as a way to lose weight?
Medications don’t replace physical activity or healthy eating habits as a way to lose weight.
Studies show that weight management medications work best when combined with a lifestyle program. Ask your health care professional about lifestyle treatment programs for weight management that will work for you.
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Weight management medications don’t replace physical activity and healthy eating habits.
What are the benefits of using prescription medications to lose weight?
When combined with changes to behavior, including healthy eating and increased physical activity, prescription medications help some people lose weight and maintain weight loss.
On average, after 1 year, people who take prescription medications as part of a lifestyle program lose 3% to 12% more of their starting body weight than people in a lifestyle program who do not take medication.
Research shows that some people taking prescription weight management medications lose 10% or more of their starting weight.5,6 Results vary by medication and by person.
Weight loss of 5% to 10% of your starting body weight may help improve your health by lowering blood sugar, blood pressure, and triglyceride levels.
Losing weight also can improve some other health problems related to overweight and obesity, such as joint pain and sleep apnea. Most weight loss takes place within the first 6 months of starting the medication.
Recent studies have found major weight loss may reverse heart disease risks, and this diet may boost your gut health and weight loss, which are highly relevant to the current study.
What are the concerns about using prescription medications to lose weight?
Experts are concerned that, in some cases, the side effects of prescription medications that treat overweight and obesity may outweigh the benefits.
For this reason, never take a weight management medication only to improve the way you look.
In the past, some weight management medications were linked to serious health problems, and they were removed from U.S. markets.
Possible side effects vary by medication and how it acts on your body. Most side effects are mild and most often improve if you continue to take the medication. Rarely, serious side effects can occur.
Tips for taking weight management medication
Follow your health care professional’s instructions about weight management medications.
Buy your medication from a pharmacy or online distributor approved by your health care professional.
Only take weight management medication to support your healthy eating and physical activity program.
Know the side effects and warnings before taking any medication.
If you are not losing weight after 12 weeks on the full dose of your medication, ask your health care professional whether you should stop taking it.
Talk with your health care professional about any other medications you are taking, including supplements and vitamins, when considering weight management medications.
Never take weight management medications during pregnancy or if you are planning a pregnancy.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies about 10 small changes you can make to prevent weight gain, and findings of this obesity drug can help both younger and older people lose weight.
For more information about weight loss and your health, please see recent studies about this common tea may help you lose weight while sleeping and results about how to lose weight through exercise.
Source: NIDDK
