Read on to learn more about how weight-loss pills work. In some instances, these pills could even put your health at risk. There’s the food prep, the gym sessions, and the dedication to ditching unhealthy habits and behaviors. "It suggests to me that we're going to see this used for a lot more than just diabetes and obesity," Khan says. Khan says he has seen patients' insulin requirements drop by half by taking these relatively new meds. Insulin then helps blood sugar move into the body's cells to be used for energy. One mistake that people make is thinking that herbal supplements are good for them because the ingredients aren’t synthetic. Obesity medicine physician Shweta Diwakar, MD, helps us understand how they work and why it’s better to stick with a supervised weight loss program. It's unknown whether liraglutide could have the same effect in humans, but people with a family history of certain cancers should not take the drug. In December 2014, the agency expanded the use of liraglutide for the treatment of obesity. This is because supplements are regulated differently than drugs. This section will guide you through the key things to consider when picking an OTC weight loss medication. Choosing the right over-the-counter (OTC) weight loss medication can be confusing. Before using any OTC weight loss product, it’s essential to consult with a healthcare professional to ensure it is safe and appropriate for your specific health needs. Keep this medication in the container it came in, tightly closed, and out of reach of children. Talk to your doctor about the risks of taking orlistat. There is not enough information to tell whether the liver damage was caused by orlistat. Ask your doctor or pharmacist any questions you might have about taking a multivitamin while you are taking orlistat. Take the multivitamin once a day, 2 hours before or 2 hours after taking orlistat, or take the multivitamin at bedtime. While it’s always a good idea to consult with a healthcare provider before starting any weight loss product, OTC medications do not legally require medical supervision. OTC weight loss medications are generally more convenient and often less expensive than prescription options. One of the biggest advantages of OTC weight loss medications is that you don’t need a doctor’s prescription to buy them. OTC weight loss medications can be effective for some people, but the results are usually modest. On average, most people lose about 5-10% of their body weight over several months when using products like orlistat, combined with diet and exercise. Around this time, amphetamine was gaining popularity—initially as a nasal decongestant (Benzedrine) and psychiatric treatment. French factory workers previously used dinitrophenol to build explosives during World War I, and many lost weight upon exposure to the substance. Many in the medical community raised alarms about using thyroid hormones for obesity. “The endocrinologists were the doctors who made fat ladies thin,” says Rasmussen, also a professor emeritus at the University of New South Wales in Australia. It wasn’t long before medical quacks were selling untested and largely ineffective “patent medicines” as diet aids—like Allan’s Anti-Fat and Dr. Gordon’s Elegant Pills. Prescription medications are more reliable and come with medical oversight, ensuring that they address your unique health needs. However, many regions around the world are seeing a shift toward evidence-based, medically supervised weight loss treatments. These medications are tailored to address specific issues such as appetite suppression, metabolism adjustment, and fat burning. For this reason, it is essential to consult with a healthcare provider before using OTC weight loss products. Some OTC medications have been linked to serious health risks, including liver damage and heart issues. Like humans, it is crucial for canines to lose weight at an appropriate rate. “By helping dog owners think about their dog’s lifestyle, we are hoping to lessen the prevalence of this serious medical condition so dogs can live healthier, more active lives.” An estimated 25 to 40 percent of dogs in the U.S. (about 17 million) are overweight or obese. It is not known if Wegovy® tablets are safe and effective for use in people under 18 years of age. This site is intended for US patients only. According to the National Institutes of Health, about 1 in 500 people who take anti-seizure drugs like topiramate develop suicidal thoughts or behaviors.Green tea is present in some dietary supplements, frequently in the form of green tea extract.Meta-analyses suggest small average weight losses often in the 2–4 percent range, but outcomes depend heavily on dose, formulation and participant characteristics.It’s important to follow a low-calorie, low-fat diet while taking this medication.People looking to lose weight quickly or jump-start their weight loss journey often turn to these products.Fat absorption blockers, such as Orlistat, allow you to lose up to 6 pounds (2.7 kg) or 3% of your weight.Studies in rats have found that Garcinia cambogia suppresses food intake and inhibits weight gain .There have been multiple reports of fatalities following massive ingestions of caffeine , generally secondary to ventricular arrhythmias. My doctor told me I may experience common side effects like nausea, and we've discussed what to do if I experience any of those side effects. We talked about how I would also need to stick to an exercise plan and a reduced calorie diet. We went over the potential benefits and the risks of treatment. One night I was talking with my neighbor about my weight. When I was at my heaviest, uh, I, I really tried to, um, avoid seeing people I hadn't seen in a long time. So make sure you know what you're getting into before you start trying to lose weight with the help of prescription drugs. They found that, on average, each drug helped people lose 5 percent of their body weight after one year (about 10 pounds for a 200-pound person). But unlike the stash of weight-loss supplements at your local drugstore, weight-loss meds prescribed by doctors have undergone years of testing to snag a seal of approval from the Food and Drug Administration. Terms and Conditions Her approach to healthy eating focuses on what to eat more of for better health versus what to restrict or eliminate in the diet. She owns Melissa Mitri Nutrition, a virtual private practice helping women achieve sustainable weight loss. It is not intended for use as diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of health problems. Even though more research is needed into how long weight loss results last with Plenity, we still believe it to be a more natural, safer weight loss pill than others on the market. The currently approved drugs, by contrast, work in about 90% of the people who take them. Both tirzepatide and semaglutide have helped people with obesity to gain the potentially life-saving benefits of weight loss, such as lowered blood sugar and reduced hypertension. Similar drugs were first created to combat diabetes, with weight loss as a welcome side benefit. Results from phase II clinical trials of both drugs were announced at a meeting of the American Diabetes Association this month and in the New England Journal of Medicine1,2. A comprehensive weight-loss program that includes diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes is also recommended in conjunction with weight-loss medications to achieve the best results. Tirzepatide was previously approved to treat type 2 diabetes as Mounjaro, and it goes by that name only in some countries. It is also semaglutide, but approved to treat type 2 diabetes. Ozempic may be a more familiar name to some patients. It can be easy to overlook first-generation AOMs, but these may be appropriate for some patients, especially when cost is a factor. Next came a dual receptor agonist, Mounjaro, which is indicated for type 2 diabetes, and Zepbound, which is indicated for obesity. Patients They don't reduce the amount of fat in your body. For people who suffer from this rare mutation, setmelanotide activates neural pathways that help decrease appetite while also boosting the body’s metabolism, increasing the expenditure of energy. In short order, the medication gained a kind of rock-star status, growing in demand so rapidly that there has been a shortage of the drug. Other forms of semaglutide, meanwhile, have been prescribed off-label for weight-loss treatment as well. So, whether you’re already taking a GLP-1 or simply interested in seeing if you’d be a good candidate for this type of drug, we’re here to help.In 2007, the FDA authorized an over-the-counter (OTC) version of orlistat under the brand name Alli, making it the first weight-loss drug available without a prescription in the U.S.Developed specifically for dogs, Slentrol is the first U.S.-licensed Microsomal Triglyceride Transfer Protein (MTP) inhibitor – a medicine with a unique mode of action that works differently from human weight-loss drugs.First, high calcium intakes might reduce calcium concentrations in fat cells by decreasing the production of parathyroid hormone and the active form of vitamin D.Your medication can help, but it’s up to you to make the changes that will keep the weight off.If a product claims to cure disease or replace prescription therapies it is likely making an unsupported claim and may attract regulatory scrutiny. GLP-1 Medication FAQs: Common Questions Answered Clearly You should only use weight management medicines if a doctor or pharmacist recommends them for you. Increasing physical activity to up to 60 minutes a day and continuing to watch what you eat may help you keep the weight off. If you go back to your previous calorie intake once you've lost weight, it's very likely you'll put the weight back on. Getting psychological support from a trained healthcare professional may also help you change the way you think about food and eating. As with many other weight-loss medications, monulubant is linked to mild to moderate GI-related side effects. Tonum’s Motus is an oral product whose human clinical trials reported approximately 10.4 percent average weight loss in six months, which is notable for a non-injectable product. For many people with significant comorbidities, the long-term benefits of larger weight loss can outweigh the inconvenience or cost of prescription medicines. In short, common OTC supplements and orlistat tend to produce modest weight losses. Human clinical trials show modest weight reductions for some people, but not all trials agree. At the highest dose used in the trial, participants lost an average of 24.2% of their body weight over 11 months of treatment. The drug’s price has not yet been set, but it will probably be much cheaper than existing weight-management drugs, says internal-medicine physician Sean Wharton at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada. One of the drugs, tirzepatide (marketed as Mounjaro), has been approved by US regulators only for treating diabetes. Two new drugs for treating obesity are on course to become available in the next few years — and they offer advantages beyond those of the highly effective blockbuster drugs already on the market. If you are considering weight-loss medication and are planning a pregnancy, it's crucial to discuss the potential impacts with your healthcare provider. If you want a medicine you can buy today without a clinic visit or prescription orlistat is the most reliable and well studied non prescription option for modest weight loss. Clinical trials show small to modest additional weight loss over placebo. Orlistat is the clearest example of a weight loss medication you can buy without a prescription in many countries. What weight loss medication does not require a prescription? Links to NCBI Databases Guar gum has been studied much more than other fibers for weight loss, and most researchers say it's not effective. Early studies suggest it may lead to modest weight loss, but more research is needed. Natural Medicines says there is "insufficient evidence" to rate how well glucomannan works for weight loss. Natural Medicines says that CLA is "possibly effective" for weight loss. There are claims that it may help curb body fat and help you stay full. Common Side Effects Associated with OTC Weight Loss Products The expected weight loss required to improve obesity-related complications and mean weight loss according to treatment. Especially recently developed incretin-based drugs semaglutide and tirzepatide result in dramatic reductions in body weight comparable to bariatric surgery (Fig. 1). Currently, CagriSema is undergoing phase 3 trials in people with overweight or obesity and various related conditions (Table 4). A phase 2 clinical study reported that HRS9531 given at a dose of 6 mg resulted in a 16.8% reduction in body weight from baseline at 24 weeks compared to 0.1% reduction in the placebo group. Semaglutide (Ozempic) is the most recent GLP-1 analogue to be approved for use in T2D and is currently available by subcutaneous injection for the treatment of T2D at a dose of up to 1.0 mg once weekly. Dulaglutide (Trulicity) is administered subcutaneously at a maximum dose of 1.5 mg once weekly, and available on license since 2014 for people with T2D as monotherapy in those who cannot take metformin or as add-on treatment in people using oral agents and/or insulin. The maximum recommended dose of lixisenatide (Lyxumia) is 20 mcg once daily via subcutaneous injection and is licensed for use in people with T2D as monotherapy in those who cannot take metformin or as an add-on treatment to oral agents and/or insulin . Absolute weight loss with liraglutide 3.0 mg (Saxenda) is reported up to 5.9 kg over 56 weeks 18, 19. New prescription weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Zepbound are currently in the spotlight for their fast, dramatic results.That's considered "off-label" use of the drug, meaning you can't have the same confidence that it's safe and effective for you.Weight loss medicines can generally be used in adults aged 18 years and older, but some weight loss medicines can be prescribed to people over 12 years of age.Yohimbine has hyperadrenergic physiological effects because it acts as an alpha-2 receptor antagonist 6,219.In turn, this may translate to orforglipron being a more affordable weight-loss medication.Observational and interventional studies written in English investigating the outcomes of obesity management with any of the aforementioned drugs that were published between 2012 and 2022 were included.Additionally, the FDA removed tirzepatide from its drug shortage list in early October 2024, and it removed semaglutide from the list in February 2025. In SURMOUNT-1, -2, and -3, SBP decreased by 5 to 7 mmHg with tirzepatide vs no change or increase in placebo groups. Participants on tirzepatide experienced significantly greater improvements in SBP, DBP, fasting insulin, fasting glucose, A1c, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides compared to placebo. The benefits of tirzepatide on cardiometabolic risk factors was consistent across all trials. From week 36 to week 88, participants lost an addition 5.5% with tirzepatide and gained 14.0% with placebo. A post hoc analysis showed that the proportion of participants who increased anti-diabetic therapy intensity decreased in the tirzepatide arms and increased in the placebo arm. Originally developed for type 2 diabetes, glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists have become leading treatments for obesity.Thermogenics can help some people but carry greater variability in safety.Trials typically show an additional 2–4 kg weight loss over ~6 months when added to lifestyle changes.People with obesity are at an increased risk for comorbidities stemming from metabolic abnormalities, such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, gallbladder disease, gout, and some types of cancer.Consult a medical professional if you seek medical advice, diagnoses or treatment.Previously, a meta-analysis revealed that among all FDA-approved anti-obesity medications, liraglutide had the highest discontinuation rate due to its side effects (13% of patients) . It works by “blocking about 30% of fat from being absorbed in the body,” says Kushner. Contrave is a brand name pill that contains both drugs, but you can also take them as two separate, generic pills. In a study published in theNew England Journal of Medicine, people lost 20.9% of their starting weight after roughly a year on tirzepatide. I would try to diet and exercise, but I couldn’t go anywhere. I didn’t think about weight that much. Some side effects may lead to dehydration, which may worsen kidney problems. With advancements in drug development and growing clinical evidence, GLP-1 medications help patients better manage obesity. As of January 2025, orlistat (Xenical and Alli) remains the only FDA-approved medication that aids weight loss by inhibiting fat absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a few prescription drugs for long-term weight loss use. While certain drugs can support weight loss, it's crucial to understand how they work, the potential side effects, and the overall health implications. Check with your doctor if you’re taking warfarin (a blood thinner), diabetes or thyroid medications, or other weight loss drugs. (A PubMed search for “stimulants and ethanol” February 21, 2017 yielded 2,255 papers.) However, there are no specific reports on the effects of combining phentermine and ethanol in humans among 15 papers yielded in a PubMed search for “phentermine and ethanol” on the same date.Weight loss pharmaceuticals are usually prescribed to people who are obese or have serious health problems related to their weight.Human clinical trials show modest weight reductions for some people, but not all trials agree.Statistical significance was not achieved with individual endpoints of nonfatal MI or nonfatal stroke.Novo Nordisk is developing an oral version of semaglutide (50 mg)specifically for obesity.In the 56-week COR-I trial, significantly greater mean weight loss (6.1%) occurred in patients assigned to naltrexone 32 mg/bupropion 360 mg dose compared with the placebo group (1.3%), and 48% of active treatment group achieved ≥5% weight loss compared to only 16% of placebo group (44).5) Talk to a clinician if you have health conditions or if progress stalls; ask about prescription options if you want double-digit results.These FDA-approved choices are readily available and affordable.Adults living with Type 2 diabetes saw about 14% weight loss along with improvements in blood sugar readings. Before starting any weight loss medication, it’s crucial to have a thorough discussion with your healthcare provider. For example, if you have high blood pressure, diabetes, or heart disease, certain weight loss drugs may be more suitable for you, while others might pose risks. This decision should not be taken lightly, as the medication you choose can significantly impact your health and your ability to reach your weight loss goals. There may come a time when you and your healthcare provider decide to stop or adjust your weight loss medication. This is an important part of the weight loss journey because many people find it difficult to keep the weight off once they stop taking their medication. For related background on plant-based extracts used in weight research, see a relevant PubMed entry (TOTUM-63 study on PubMed). These risks are why healthy skepticism matters when a product promises dramatic results with minimal effort. Green tea extracts, garcinia cambogia, conjugated linoleic acid, bitter orange, and many other botanicals show up in weight-loss products. Phase 2 studies have used four different doses of orforglipron (12, 24, 36, and 45 mg); at week 26, the mean weight loss from baseline ranged from 8.6% to 12.6% across the orforglipron dose cohorts compared to 2.0% weight loss in the placebo group. Although phase 2 trials have used oral semaglutide at a dose of 40 mg, the Oral Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People with Obesity (OASIS) 1 trial used oral semaglutide at a dose of 50 mg once a day; this dose can cause greater reductions in body weight with a similar safety profile to 40 mg. Mean weight loss from baseline with tirzepatide administration (10 mg or 15 mg) in SURMOUNT 1 to SURMOUNT 3 was 12.8% to 20.9%; this weight loss was significantly higher than in the placebo group (–3.1% to –2.5%) (Jastreboff et al., 2022; Garvey et al., 2023; Wadden et al., 2023). In most clinical trials that evaluated pharmacologic interventions for more than 12 months, a weight loss of 4% to 8% was typical ; however, this is rather disappointing considering the high prices of these drugs. The goal of treatment with anti-obesity drugs in obese individuals should be long-term maintenance of weight reduction and improvement in overall health. Previously, a meta-analysis revealed that among all FDA-approved anti-obesity medications, liraglutide had the highest discontinuation rate due to its side effects (13% of patients) . Four hundred and twenty-two subjects who lost ≥ 5% of their initial body weight on a low-calorie diet were randomly assigned to liraglutide 3.0 mg daily or placebo for 56 weeks. The controlled-release, single-tablet combination phentermine plus topiramate (trade name Qsymia) was approved by the FDA in 2012 as a long-term treatment for obesity for adults with BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 or BMI ≥27 kg/m2 with at least one weight-related comorbidity. In a 2-year trial, Davidson et al. reported less weight regain rates and lower levels of serum glucose and insulin in patients maintained on a 120 mg three times per day dose of orlistat, as compared to those on placebo (54). Subjects in the orlistat group lost significantly more weight in the first year (10.2 vs. 6.1%) and regained half as much weight during the second year of treatment, as compared to the placebo group (53). Interestingly, these drugs are effective, to some extent, in individuals without diabetes . Other co-administered medications have been investigated to elucidate their long-term efficacy and adverse events 15,16. To date, however, there has been no approved combination agent for obesity management, besides phentermine/topiramate and naltrexone/bupropion. As obesity occurs via multifactorial pathways, a single drug might exhibit limited efficacy. Many of them are used to treat both obesity and Type 2 diabetes.Weight loss pills alone are usually not enough to help you accomplish your weight loss goals.We recommend consulting your healthcare provider before starting any supplement.FDA does not permit dietary supplements to contain pharmaceutical ingredients, and manufacturers may not promote dietary supplements to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease .They all are meant to be used with a reduced-calorie diet and raised physical activity.That positions Motus as a promising oral choice for people who want a pill rather than an injectable. However, significant weight loss was observed among epileptic patients treated with topiramate, thereby leading to its evaluation in clinical studies for the treatment of obesity. Recent advances in anti-obesity drugs have enabled the potential of achieving clinically significant weight loss. Clinically, it would be useful to know the absolute effects on weight of various medications so that certain drugs can be avoided, replaced, or sought out as appropriate to a given situation. Yes, most weight loss medications require a prescription from a healthcare provider. Quitting it can lead to regaining much of the weight you lost.Additionally, in Asian countries the prevalence of obesity is expected to grow at a substantially higher rate.Your healthcare provider will discuss the various options with you.They work in different ways and are chosen based on a person’s needs and health.The SURPASS-2 clinical trial compared tirzeparide to semaglutide head to head.This systematic review represents a significant effort and is the product of an adequate balance between rigor and feasibility; it provides the best comparative evidence on weight effect for many different drugs.You will know what to look for when choosing a product, how to use it safely, and when to seek advice from a healthcare professional. If weight improves and side effects are minimal, continuation may make sense. A non-prescription product reporting around 10% in human trials is notable and worth attention, but durability beyond trial timelines often remains an open question. Orlistat can also reduce absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, so routine supplementation or dietary adjustments are recommended. Branded as alli in the U.S., it works by inhibiting gastrointestinal lipases so some dietary fat is not absorbed. Tirzepatide (injectable) SURMOUNT trials delivered larger mean reductions in many human clinical trials often approaching 20 to 23 percent at higher doses. Even if someone has a high BMI or weight-related health problems, not everyone is eligible for weight loss medications. When people start taking weight loss medications, they often want to know how much weight they can expect to lose. For example, some medications may help people lose around 5% to 10% of their body weight, while others might help them lose more. Viscous soluble fibers: gentle, plausible, low risk when used correctly Metreleptin (trade name Myalept) is a leptin analog approved to treat the complications of leptin deficiency in individuals with congenital or acquired generalized lipodystrophy (158). Caution should be taken if used in patients predisposed to renal stones, acute angle glaucoma, or metabolic acidosis (154). Topiramate can cause paresthesias and cognitive side effects, such as word-finding difficulty and memory loss. Common ingredients in these supplements include botanicals (herbs and other plant components), dietary fiber, caffeine, and minerals. Approximately 15% of U.S. adults have used a weight-loss dietary supplement at some point in their lives; more women report use (21%) than men (10%) . Forty-five percent of Americans who are overweight and 67% of those with obesity are trying to lose weight . More than two-third of adults and almost one-third of children and adolescents in the United States are overweight or have obesity 1,2. 321 people received CONTRAVE, and 166 people received a placebo. If a product claims to cure disease or replace prescription therapies it is likely making an unsupported claim and may attract regulatory scrutiny. For example some trials use a specific standardized extract. Combine any sensible product with a diet that fits your life, adequate protein to preserve muscle, strength training if possible, and sleep hygiene. A GIPR antagonist conjugated to GLP-1 analogues promotes weight loss with improved metabolic parameters in preclinical and phase 1 settings. Innovent's Mazdutide shows superiority in glycemic control with weight loss over semaglutide in a head-to-head phase 3 clinical trial DREAMS-3. Off-label drugs for weight management. Lilly's selective amylin agonist, eloralintide, demonstrated meaningful weight loss and favorable tolerability in a Phase 2 study of adults with obesity or overweight. Amgen wants in on the booming weight loss drug market — and it’s taking a different approach. For now, make decisions based on transparent human clinical trials, realistic goals, and careful monitoring.Every weight-loss pill, or diet pill, operates on its own timeline.This anecdotal evidence, combined with results of a few animal studies indicating that hoodia reduces food intake , led to the widespread marketing of hoodia as a weight-loss supplement in the United States in the early 2000s.Pramlintide acetate (trade name Symlin) is an injectable agent that is FDA-approved for the treatment of type 1 and T2D.Different body types require different types of pills, so research each supplement carefully before choosing the one that you feel is best for your needs.As obesity continues to be a global health concern, the demand for weight loss solutions is growing.It’s why you should always get the green light from your physician before popping a new medication or supplement—even if it’s one that you buy OTC.There’s not a body out there that’s better than your own. Some evidence suggests coffee drinkers might have an easier time maintaining their weight. Green tea contains substances called catechins that might have some effect on appetite and fat burning. Some supplements claim to be appetite suppressants. It's also sold as an over-the-counter drug, Alli. The brand name of the prescription-strength version is Xenical. To our knowledge, at the time of writing there are no trials exploring weight loss in people without T2D. In people without diabetes, some trials have explored dapagliflozin as a monotherapy or in combination with other weight loss agents have been explored. Encouragingly, there are several ongoing and unreported preclinical, phase I/II trials investigating drugs utilising this dual mechanism of action . Generally intended to be taken with meals, orlistat has been shown to inhibit absorption of as much as 25 to 30 percent of the fat content in any given meal. In rare cases, some people may have an allergic reaction to the drug, or be at risk for a dangerous buildup of lactic acid in the bloodstream. It also appears to affect the gut microbiome in a manner that may improve metabolism and support weight loss. However, guidelines suggest different weight targets are set depending on the complications, such as 5-15% weight loss for metabolic syndrome, type 2 DM and cardiovascular disease, 7-8% for obstructive sleep apnea and asthma, and 10-40% for steatohepatitis (Garvey et al., 2016). Other novel drugs like neuropeptide Y receptor type 2 agonists, cannabinoid receptor-1 inverse agonists, and gut–brain axis-targeting therapeutics are under development. A phase 1 study showed AMG 133 had an acceptable safety and tolerability profile and resulted in dose-dependent weight loss (Veniant et al., 2024). The side effects that resulted in discontinuation of treatment included blurry vision, headaches, insomnia, paresthesia, irritability, dizziness, anxiety, and depression . Lei et al. found phentermine-topiramate effective in the reduction of body weight as well as waist circumference, blood pressure, lipid levels, and plasma glucose levels . Over 40% of participants taking phentermine-topiramate achieved 5% weight loss over 20 weeks . Grabarczyk performed a study with Veteran Health Administration (VHA) and found that after 20 weeks, phentermine-topiramate led to a 4.1% decrease in weight from baseline vs 3.6% for phentermine alone vs 2.1% for orlistat vs 1.6% in those on MOVE! There have been several anti-obesity medications that help suppress appetite and achieve weight loss. Further, prior findings demonstrated that anti-obesity drugs cannot be used as a panacea for the treatment of obesity; instead, they should be used to facilitate weight control. As a highly stigmatized disease, there remains a misconception that obesity is mainly due to a lack of willpower and representative of laziness; thus, these patients are considered undeserving of proper treatment with medications or surgery . Resultantly, 7–8 kg of weight loss owing to these medications can be expected in patients with diabetes over 6–12 months. In the XENDOS (XENDOS (XENical in the prevention of Diabetes in Obese Subjects) trial, the largest randomized controlled trial (RCT) that evaluated the effect of orlistat in 3,305 patients, orlistat was found to cause a total body weight loss of 2.4% after 4 years. How long you take a weight-loss drug depends on your doctor. You may see some weight loss in the first few weeks, but the full effect is usually seen in 6 to 12 months. The amount of weight you lose depends on the medication, your starting weight, and how well you follow the lifestyle changes. Many of the contraindications and warnings in the older drug labels are based on presumptions that have proven to be unsubstantiated. Hence, there are no federal laws regulating off-label medication use, although some individual states’ medical boards may have restrictive regulations. Just as any form of treatment, off-label prescribing may offer benefits unique to the individual but may carry attendant risks. Although data on this practice are scarce, one can predict that phentermine is the most frequently combined drug. Today, nine FDA-approved AOMs remain on the market, with six approved for long-term weight loss, of which one is indicated for specific monogenic obesity mutations, and one “device” that functions as a medication (Table 2). Today, six anti-obesity medications (AOMs) are approved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for the long-term treatment of obesity. “None of these medications were tested in long-term trials prior to repurposing them for the treatment of obesity. Many private insurance plans exclude obesity treatments, leaving patients to pay out of pocket for medications that can cost between $900 and $1,400 per month. 3) Human clinical trial data published or summarized, ideally peer-reviewed. Supplements can cause anything from mild digestive symptoms to serious cardiovascular events, depending on the ingredients and the user’s health. Orlistat’s effects are gastrointestinal and predictable. The trade-off is that many supplements have less rigorous evidence and limited regulatory oversight. For people who want to take a first step without a clinic visit, OTC availability is convenient. Some studies indicate that bitter orange and synephrine—as bitter orange extract or pure synephrine—raise blood pressure and heart rate, but other studies show that they do not have these effects 25-27,31,36-39. However, many of the products with these effects contain multiple herbal ingredients, and the role of bitter orange in these adverse effects cannot be isolated. Reported adverse effects include chest pain, headache, anxiety, elevated heart rate, musculoskeletal complaints, ventricular fibrillation, ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, and death 34,35. The authors of a 2012 review of 23 small human clinical studies involving a total of 360 participants concluded that synephrine increases resting metabolic rate and energy expenditure . Always prioritise your health and consult a doctor before starting any weight loss plan. Some people should exercise caution when using over-the-counter (OTC) weight loss products. By doing this, you can achieve your weight loss goals and improve your overall health. Participants who were receiving retatrutide continued to lose weight until treatment was stopped at 48 weeks, and the trajectory of the weight-reduction curves indicated that a plateau had not yet been reached. Based on the benefits of dual GLP-1/GIP RAs and dual GLP-1/glucagon RAs, the effect of triple GLP-1/GIP/glucagon RAs on weight loss and glycemic control has also been investigated. Considering that 6 mg was not enough to achieve the desired weight loss target for individuals with a higher BMI, mazdutide administration at a dose of 9 mg, exclusively for adults with a BMI ≥30 kg/m2, is under evaluation (Table 4). There are prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) appetite suppressants. As a result, you may take in fewer calories and lose weight. They affect how your body and brain experience appetite and hunger. Your healthcare provider can help you decide if they’re right for you. Wegovy® goes beyond weight management for adults Therefore, the recommended dosage is 120 mg 3 times/day during or up to 1 hour after each fat-containing meal. However, because of FDA concerns that the drug, in some way, might stimulate the growth of preexisting neoplasms, an extensive retrospective analysis was conducted in an effort to interpret these findings. In one single-dose study in adults, it did not affect gallbladder motility.41 However, the long-term effects on motility and possible sludge or gallstone formation are unknown. Although not well studied, the effect of dieting and dietary modification on the disposition of certain agents should be considered. The advancements in technology, a more sedentary lifestyle, along with increased access to high-calorie foods, have become the fundamental cause of the increased prevalence of obesity . Obesity is a global epidemic that is still on the rise, affecting billions of people worldwide . We included only studies pertaining to adult patients that have been published between 2012 and 2022. Finding adequate prevention and treatment options would therefore lead to massive improvements in the duration and quality of life of affected individuals.