Research
Hormonal
GLP-1 receptor agonists (liraglutide, semaglutide) and dual GIP/GLP-1 agonists (tirzepatide) produce significant weight loss in adults with obesity by acting centrally to reduce appetite and peripherally to delay gastric emptying.
Semaglutide 2.4mg weekly, combined with a 500 kcal daily deficit and 150 minutes of weekly activity, produces an average 14.8% body weight loss over 68 weeks. Expect gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, which are common but often manageable.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
The majority of these compounds act centrally, to reduce appetite and increase satiety, and secondarily, in the gastrointestinal tract to slow gastric emptying.
Why this rating
Based on multiple Phase 3 RCTs and meta-analyses cited in the review.
Source
Pharmacotherapy of obesity: an update on the available medications and drugs under investigation
Marlene Chakhtoura et al. · EClinicalMedicine · 2023
DOI 10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.101882
narrative_reviewCited 429×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
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