Weight-loss medication is meant to be used along with diet, exercise and behavior changes. Medication is unlikely to work if there is no lifestyle change.
Medical treatment is recommended if diet and exercise does not work for you and you meet the following criteria.
- Your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or greater
- Your BMI is greater than 27, and you also have medical complications of obesity, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or sleep apnea.
Before selecting a medication for you, your doctor will consider your health history, as well as possible side effects. Some weight-loss medications can’t be used by women who are pregnant, or people who take certain medications or have chronic health conditions.
Commonly prescribed weight-loss medications include orlistat (Xenical), lorcaserin (Belviq), phentermine and topiramate (Qsymia), buproprion and naltrexone (Contrave), and liraglutide (Saxenda).