Medications prescribed by your doctor are often a helpful aspect in the treatment regimen for people with obesity; it can be considered for those with a BMI >30 kg/m2, or a BMI of 27 to 29.9 kg/m2 with weight-related medical problems, who have not met weight loss goals (loss of at least 5% of total body weight at three to six months) despite trying a comprehensive life-style intervention like diet and exercise. The decision to start drug therapy is made after a careful evaluation of the risks and advantages of all treatment options, in conjunction with your doctor.
Once it’s been decided to start pharmacologic therapy, the choice of anti-obesity drug depends upon a person’s medical problems but the doctor also takes into account the person’s preferences, adverse effects, and insurance coverage and costs. For most people, liraglutide is the first choice of many doctors. If there is an inadequate response to liraglutide or it is not tolerated, and treatment with a different drug is considered, the doctor usually switches to orlistat, although side effects often limit its use. Phentermine is another drug that is also an effective, inexpensive, and a widely prescribed option.