Who Is Eligible to Use GLP-1 Drugs for Weight Loss?
Wegovy, Zepbound, Saxenda, and Foundayo are all approved as weight loss medications for the following people with a demonstrated medical need to lose weight.
Wegovy and Saxenda are also approved for the treatment of children age 12 and older; the precise BMI cutoffs for children differ by age.
Only your healthcare team can decide which of these drugs, if any, will work best for you.
How Much Weight Will I Lose?
Not everybody responds equally well to these treatments, and it’s impossible to predict how effective any specific weight loss medication will be for you. The results of major clinical trials suggest how much weight the average user may expect to lose.
One large meta-analysis of 14 systematic reviews looked at the weight loss outcomes of six drugs (including semaglutide, liraglutide, and tirzepatide) measured at six months, 12 months, and beyond one year. After six months, tirzepatide injections were the most effective, with participants losing an average of 19.8 pounds on a dose of 5 milligrams (mg), and 26.5 pounds (lb) on a 15-mg dose. Overall, 2.4-mg semaglutide injections yielded the biggest results, with participants losing an average of 25.3 to 27.6 lb.
Liraglutide didn’t achieve quite the same level of weight loss. On average, users taking a 3-mg dose lost 11 lb. after the first year. The average weight loss decreased to 7.5 lb., according to results extending beyond 12 months.
But some people won’t see these results. About 23 percent of Wegovy users lost less than 5 percent of their body weight. This ranges between 17 and 21 percent for Zepbound users (based on research funded by its drugmaker).
It’s important to emphasize that GLP-1 weight loss drugs are meant to be used in tandem with regular exercise and a healthy diet. The weight loss reported in the above studies all occurred in volunteers who were also asked to maintain healthy eating and exercise habits.
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