Articles
Prescription weight-loss drugs
Common weight-loss drugs
Safety of weight-loss drugs
Factors to consider
What drugs are approved in the U.S. for weight loss?
Content
Who is a candidate for weight-loss drugs?
How well do weight-loss drugs work?
What you should know about weight-loss drugs
How long does drug therapy last?
What drugs are approved for weight loss?
The bottom line
How well do weight-loss drugs work?
Prescription weight-loss drugs approved for long-term use (more than 12 weeks) produce significant weight loss compared with placebo. The combination of weight-loss medication and lifestyle changes results in greater weight loss than lifestyle changes do alone.
Over the course of a year, that can mean a weight loss of 3% to 7% of total body weight above that achieved with lifestyle changes alone. That may seem like a modest amount. But a sustained weight loss of 5% to 10% can have important health benefits, such as lowering blood pressure, blood sugar and triglyceride levels.
