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Procedure guide
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
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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The treatment
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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The guide
Semaglutide, tirzepatide, liraglutide, phentermine, Qsymia, Contrave and compounded GLP-1s: approval year and trial results.
OpenThe gut, stomach, pancreas and brain receptors each drug acts on.
OpenFrom phentermine in 1959 to GLP-1 drugs and the end of the shortages in 2025.
OpenWeek by week on treatment, the risks in numbers and what happens after stopping.
OpenAnswers to the questions patients ask most, with sources.
OpenFlorida medical weight loss providers ranked, with their dossiers.
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