Prescription weight loss medication
Prescription medication can be a useful addition to lifestyle measures for managing obesity.
When will prescription medication be recommended for weight loss?
Prescription weight loss medication may be recommended if lifestyle strategies haven’t worked and your BMI remains over 30. They can also be recommended if you have obesity related complications and your BMI is between 27 and 30.1 2 3 4
They are also sometimes recommended after a person has been on a very low energy diet to prevent weight gain.5
How well do prescription medicines work for weight loss?
Clinical studies of drug therapies have shown average weight loss of between 3% and 12% of your baseline bodyweight. This depends on your individual body type.
Studies show that your weight loss at 12-16 weeks predicts how much weight you’ll lose a year and beyond. If you haven’t lost at least 5% of your weight within three to four months or you need to lose more, your doctor will discuss additional options with you. 2 3 4
What happens if prescription medications don’t work?
Prescription weight loss medication doesn’t work for everyone. About 32-50% of people won’t lose 5% of their weight by this time.3 4
Although prescription medicines are promising for many in the short term, people rarely stay on them. Reasons include the cost, concerns about the side effects and a belief that it’s no longer necessary.2
If you’re one of the people who didn’t lose 5% of the starting weight in 3 months, or you are adversely impacted by the side effects, there are other options. Have a chat with your doctor about what other obesity treatment might be appropriate.
It’s normal for some treatments to work for some people and not for others. A wide variety of responses to treatment is normal.
Select from 3 options below
It is normal for patients to try to lose weight 3-4 times prior to pursuing surgery.^
Individual results vary. Risks and benefits of each treatment vary widely and should be discussed with a doctor. † The LookAhead Intensive Lifestyle Change study focused on people with Type 2 diabetes and provided much more medical coaching and individual nutritional and exercise support than most people receive. For both reasons, weight loss responses may vary from the general population. >20% weight loss was not reported, but roughly 5 in 20 people kept of >10% of their starting weight.. N=2,114.
‡ Some variation comes from different surgery procedures. For people that had Roux-en-Y Gastric Bypass, less than 1 in 20 people had <5% total weigh loss five years after surgery. For people who had Sleeve Gastrectomy, 2 in 20 had <5% total weight loss five years after surgery. N=16,691.
Ω Variation with different surgery procedures. 16 out of 20 sleeve gastrectomy patients maintained >20% total weight loss 5 years after surgery. 18 out 20 roux-en-y gastric bypass patients maintained >20% TWL 5 years after surgery.
#Below patient-proportions are from 4 separate studies.
^In the US, approximately 60% of patients in surgical pipeline have already tried pharma approaches.
