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Medical Weight Loss

Medical weight loss is prescription drug treatment for obesity, given with a reduced-calorie diet and more physical activity. The main drugs are the weekly injections semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound), plus daily liraglutide (Saxenda) and the oral drugs phentermine, phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia) and naltrexone-bupropion (Contrave).

The map

Medical Weight Loss providers in Florida

Every practice whose website names medical weight loss: medical spas, dermatologists, surgeons, laser clinics and other aesthetic providers. Dot size is Google reviews. Tap a practice for its dossier.

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Providers

Florida medical weight loss providers

The treatment

What medical weight loss changes

The FDA labels Wegovy, Zepbound, Saxenda, Qsymia and Contrave for chronic weight management in adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with at least one weight-related condition such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol. Each is used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

GLP-1 is a hormone released from the gut after a meal. Semaglutide and liraglutide activate the GLP-1 receptor. Tirzepatide activates both the GLP-1 and the GIP receptor. The labels state that weight loss comes from lower calorie intake, likely through effects on appetite.

In 68 to 72 week trials, semaglutide 2.4 mg lowered weight 14.9% against 2.4% on placebo, and tirzepatide 15 mg lowered weight 20.9% against 3.1%. Weight returns when the drug stops: one year after stopping semaglutide, trial participants had regained two-thirds of the weight they lost.

Ozempic (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) contain the same drugs as Wegovy and Zepbound but are labeled for type 2 diabetes. Compounded versions are not FDA approved. The FDA declared both shortages resolved and ended its grace periods for compounded copies in 2025.

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What it changes

  • Obesity, BMI 30 or more
  • Overweight, BMI 27 or more, with a weight-related condition
  • Keeping weight off while the drug is continued
  • Risk of heart attack, stroke and cardiovascular death in adults with heart disease and obesity or overweight (Wegovy)
  • Waist circumference and cardiometabolic risk factors measured in the trials

What it does not change

  • It does not work alone: every label pairs the drug with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
  • It is not permanent. Off semaglutide, STEP 1 participants regained two-thirds of the lost weight within a year.
  • GLP-1 and tirzepatide drugs are not used with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN 2.
  • Compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide are not FDA approved and are not reviewed for safety, effectiveness or quality.
  • It does not spare muscle. In a 2025 meta-analysis, lean mass made up about 25% of the weight lost on GLP-1 drugs.

The guide

Medical Weight Loss, section by section