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Fact: Obesity is a disease. Experts at the National Institutes of Health recognized it as such in 1998—with the American Medical Association finally classifying it as a chronic disease, rather than a personal choice, 11 years ago.
And while the medical world has come a long way in understanding the science about overweight and obesity as a disease, the old idea that obesity is a lack of willpower still lingers. We’ve all been targeted online with fad diets that promise if you just try this one [insert paleo, keto or a million others here], in addition to exercise, the weight will fall off.
Successful and sustainable weight loss indeed includes lifestyle changes. However, research also shows that your environment and biology play a huge role in your ability to lose weight and keep it off. And because most primary care providers often aren’t well versed in treating obesity, you may have only heard about treatment options like bariatric surgery. (Access depends on your health care coverage.) Another option is prescription weight loss medication.
A specific group of prescription medications used to help people lose weight are glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists (or GLP-1s*). A drug that works as an agonist activates the same cell receptors as the body's natural hormones. Novo Nordisk manufactures two brand name drugs that contain the active ingredient semaglutide. One is Ozempic®, which is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to treat type 2 diabetes. Novo Nordisk also manufactures Wegovy®—which is FDA-approved for chronic weight management and to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in adults who have obesity and heart disease.
But even though Ozempic and Wegovy are among the most buzzed-about GLP-1s for weight loss, there’s not just one GLP-1 medication. Indeed, there are many of them, which means there’s a lot to learn about how they can help us. So, let’s pop the hood and talk about the ins and outs of GLP-1 weight loss.
Simply put, GLP-1s are a class of medications used to treat type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. And while metformin has long been the first-line therapy in treating type 2 diabetes, the FDA announced in 2019 that Rybelsus® (semaglutide), a GLP-1, can also be offered as a first-line treatment. Now, a GLP-1 can replace metformin (with, for some, fewer side effects) or be taken together with metformin not only for the treatment of type 2 diabetes but also off-label for weight management.
Does GLP-1 help you lose weight? Yes. Here’s why: GLP-1s mimic the action of glucagon-like peptide 1. This hormone is naturally produced in your gut. It plays a role in digestion and appetite regulation, causing you to feel full faster and aiding in weight management by making you eat less. It also helps with blood sugar levels: when levels start to rise after we eat, GLP-1s stimulate the body to produce more insulin, helping to lower blood glucose.
Two GLP-1s are FDA-approved for long-term weight management: the once-weekly Wegovy and the daily-dose Saxenda® (liraglutide). A third medication approved in late 2023 for chronic weight management, ZepboundTM, is a dual agonist: It mimics two gut hormones, GLP-1 and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, or GIP.
The FDA approved Saxenda for weight loss in 2014. It’s prescribed to patients with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 or greater who have at least one weight-related condition, or in patients with a BMI of 30 or greater. In fact, in a 2017 review of five studies published in the journal Obesity Science & Practice, researchers determined that patients taking liraglutide lost at least 5 to 10 percent of their body weight as compared with those taking the placebo.
The second, Wegovy, was approved for weight loss in June 2021 under the same BMI guidelines as Saxenda. Additionally, semaglutide has undergone rigorous trials before becoming FDA-approved, including one published in 2021 in The New England Journal of Medicine. The double-blind clinical trial of 1961 adults with excess weight or obesity without diabetes found that the average weight loss after 68 weeks was about 15 percent of body weight for those given semaglutide, versus only about 2.5 percent for those taking the placebo. In other words, significant weight loss happened with semaglutide.
Along the same lines, it’s important to mention that although Wegovy is an FDA-approved medication for weight loss, medications like Ozempic and Rybelsus are FDA-approved for treating type 2 diabetes. However, since their active ingredient is also semaglutide, clinicians may prescribe them off-label for weight management.
There are other hormone-mimicking drugs that are FDA-approved for various uses that can be prescribed to help people lose weight. They include:
Trulicity
Trulicity® (dulaglutide) is another GLP-1 medication that’s FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes. Significantly, a study published in 2021 in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism saw promising results for weight loss with the drug. In participants given the highest dose (4.5 mg) of the once-weekly dulaglutide, the mean weight loss was about ten pounds at 36 weeks, with continued weight loss at the 52-week mark.
Victoza
We mentioned liraglutide earlier when we talked about Saxenda as a GLP-1 for weight loss, and the amazing results in studies. Victoza® also has liraglutide as its active ingredient. The key difference between the medications Victoza and Saxenda is that Victoza is FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes, and Saxenda is FDA-approved for chronic weight management.
Mounjaro® and Zepbound
These two drugs, manufactured by Eli Lilly, contain the active ingredient tirzepatide. They are also dual agonists: They mimic two hormones, GLP-1 and GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide). Mounjaro is approved to treat type 2 diabetes. Zepbound is approved for weight loss. In the SURMOUNT-1 clinical trials, participants on the highest dose (15 mg) of tirzepatide lost on average 52 pounds over 72 weeks. On the lowest dose (5 mg), people taking Zepbound for weight loss lost on average 34 pounds.
There isn’t one correct answer regarding which is best for you because there are many biological factors that can make it difficult to lose weight. Found-affiliated health care providers use a personalized, case-by-case approach to determine if GLP-1s or another weight loss medication will work with your unique biology to help you reach your goals.
As a Found member, you'll also be paired with a health coach who will help you along your weight loss journey. Found also gives you access to an in-app lifestyle change program to help you establish habits to reach your goals, such as increased physical activity, getting enough sleep, and taking care of your mental health. You'll have ongoing access to your Found care provider, and an exclusive community of other Found members for support.
GLP-1 and GLP-1/GIP medications do have some known potential side effects. The most common are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and acid reflux. More serious but less common side effects include pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, and worsening of diabetic eye disease. And those with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasias should not use them. Find detailed side effect and risk information for specific medications by name here.
To start your journey with Found, take our quiz.
GLP-1*
GLP-1 prescriptions, filled through your local pharmacy, are now available as part of Found's weight-loss toolkit. While GLP-1s can be effective for weight loss, they are not clinically appropriate for everyone. Eligibility for a GLP-1 is based on a thorough evaluation of your medical history and lab work. If a GLP-1 is not appropriate for you, our providers will work with you to determine an effective medication for your health profile.
About Found
To discover your MetabolicPrint and start your journey with Found, take our quiz. Found is among the largest medically supported weight care clinics in the country, having served more than 200,000 members to date.
