Hormonal
FDA-approved anti-obesity medications (AOMs) including GLP-1 agonists (semaglutide, liraglutide), dual agonists (tirzepatide), and others (orlistat, phentermine-topiramate) produce significant weight loss (5-15%) when combined with lifestyle interventions, representing a shift from behavioral-only approaches to targeting physiological root causes.
If you have a BMI of 30 or higher (or 27 with health issues), FDA-approved medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide can help you lose 5-15% of your body weight when combined with diet and exercise. These drugs work by targeting the hormones that control hunger and fullness, addressing the biological drivers of obesity that diet and exercise alone often cannot overcome. Consult a doctor to see if you are a candidate.
Currently approved anti-obesity medications (AOM) by the United States of America (USA) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) include liraglutide (Saxenda), naltrexone-bupropion (Contrave), orlistat (Xenical), phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia), semaglutide (Wegovy), setmelanotide (IMCIVREE), and tirzepatide (Mounjaro). When used with lifestyle interventions, these medications result in an average of 5–15% weight loss.
Why this rating
This is a narrative review summarizing multiple RCTs and guidelines; it is not a single primary RCT.
Source
A narrative review of approved and emerging anti-obesity medications
Semira Abdi Beshir et al. · Saudi Pharmaceutical Journal · 2023
DOI 10.1016/j.jsps.2023.101757
Related findings · Hormonal
- Initial treatment for type 2 diabetes should be a combination of metformin and either an SGLT-2 inhibitor or a GLP-1 receptor agonist to achieve cardiorenal protection, rather than monotherapy or older agents like sulfonylureas.Strong
- For patients with specific monogenic obesity syndromes (leptin deficiency, POMC/PCSK1/LEPR mutations), targeted pharmacotherapy (recombinant leptin or setmelanotide) is highly effective and should be prioritized, unlike in polygenic obesity.Strong
- 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
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →