Research
Hormonal
GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide, tirzepatide) produce superior weight loss (>10% initial body weight) compared to other approved anti-obesity medications by acting centrally to increase satiety and reduce appetite.
If lifestyle changes alone haven't worked, GLP-1 agonists like semaglutide or tirzepatide are the most effective pharmacological options, capable of producing over 10% weight loss. These require weekly injections and a gradual dose titration to manage side effects like nausea.
StrongSupportsHIGH confidence
The most effective anti-obesity drugs are semaglutide and tirzepatide, which might provide weight loss of more than 10% of the initial weight. Most of them, except orlistat, predominantly act centrally by increasing satiety, as well as reducing appetite and food reward.
Why this rating
Based on large-scale clinical trials (e.g., Jastreboff et al., 2022) cited in the paper.
Source
Pharmacotherapy of obesity: State of the art and perspectives
Katarina Sićović et al. · Arhiv za farmaciju · 2024
DOI 10.5937/arhfarm74-50625
narrative_reviewCited 1×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Liraglutide and semaglutide are the only approved anti-obesity medications demonstrated to lower the risk of major cardiovascular events in patients with or without established cardiovascular disease.Strong
- Non-pharmacological lifestyle interventions (caloric deficit >500 kcal/day, physical activity >200 min/week) can achieve up to 8% mean weight loss over 6 months, comparable to moderate-efficacy anti-obesity medications.Good
Related findings · Hormonal
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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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