When it comes to maintaining a healthy body weight, we’re all different – different bodies, different appetites, different activity levels and different challenges. Many people can lose weight without the help of prescription medication. However, for others, medication can help as part of their weight loss journey.

All types of weight loss medications are meant to work alongside a healthy diet and exercise. They broadly work in one of two different ways:

• By preventing some of the fat from your food being absorbed by your body
• By helping to reduce your appetite or food cravings

Tablets and injections are available that are designed to reduce appetite and food cravings

Your pharmacist will look at certain factors when deciding if a weight loss medication is suitable. This will include your current BMI, along with lifestyle factors such as your diet and exercise.

Several prescription weight loss medications are available that work in different ways to reduce your appetite or food cravings. As with all types of prescription weight loss medication, these are not designed as a ‘quick fix’ but to support weight loss along with a healthy diet and lifestyle. Options include:

• Wegovy: Wegovy is a weekly jab that mimics the body’s natural ‘hunger hormone’ to help people feel less hungry and more satisfied from their food
• Mysimba: These tablets are designed to support weight loss by working on areas of the brain involved in the control of food intake and energy expenditure
• Saxenda: A daily injection that works by acting on receptors in the brain that control your appetite, causing you to feel fuller and less hungry

Some medicines work to prevent your body absorbing fat from your food 

Orlistat is a medication that prevents around a third of the fat from your food being absorbed into your body. Instead, the undigested fat is passed out when you poo. This will help avoid weight gain, however weight loss will come from using this type of medicine combined with a balanced, low fat diet and exercising. Your pharmacist will work with you to come up with a suitable weight loss plan for your needs.

If you are prescribed these fat absorbing weight loss pills, your pharmacist will also give you advice on which vitamin supplements to take, to make sure you stay healthy and get all the nutrients you need. This is because certain vitamins, such as A,D,E, & K, can dissolve with the fat and be passed out of your body too.

Visit a pharmacy to discuss whether weight loss medication could work for you

Getting to a healthy weight and staying there can be great for your health and confidence. If you’re struggling to reach your weight loss goals, you may want to visit your local pharmacy, as many pharmacies now offer weight management services. As well as advice and support, your pharmacist can supply medications to help with weight loss if they think it’s appropriate and could help you.