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A blockbuster batch of anti-obesity drugs continues to grab headlines and dominate social media posts. The medications — semaglutide (Wegovy), liraglutide (Saxenda), and tirzepatide (Zepbound/mounjaro) — are backed by science and stunning accounts of people losing as much as 20% of their body weight.

What are they?
The recently FDA-approved anti-obesity medications are in a class called GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s). They mimic a hormone (glucagon-like peptide 1) that helps the body slow stomach emptying, control blood sugar levels, and suppress appetite, a combination that leads to weight loss. One of the drugs, Zepbound/mounjaro, mimics GLP-1 as well as a hormone called a glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), believed to promote the effects of GLP-1.

Wait — aren't they diabetes drugs?
All three of the anti-obesity drugs were first approved by the FDA just to treat diabetes, under the brand names Ozempic, Victoza, and Mounjaro. But people taking them noticed they were losing substantial amounts of weight. Studies confirmed this effect, and the FDA eventually approved the medications for weight loss

How do you take the medications?
Most of these new drugs come in the form of injections that you give yourself daily or weekly. They are loaded in an injector pen (like an EpiPen for an allergic reaction) that you press against your abdomen or thigh.
A pill form of semaglutide (Rybelsus) is also available. It's FDA-approved to treat diabetes, but not yet approved for weight loss.

What are the side effects?
Both the anti-obesity and diabetes formulations have potential side effects. Common ones include fatigue, nausea, vomiting, or constipation
 

Who's a candidate for the drugs?
The drugs are approved for weight loss only in people diagnosed with obesity (a BMI of 30 or greater) or a higher range of overweight (a BMI of 27 to 29.9), as well as a medical problem related to excess weight, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol.