Training & body composition
WEIGHT LOSS MEDICATIONS.
Weight loss medicines can help people who are suitable for treatment manage their weight. Keep eating well, strength training and working on your fitness so your progress supports your health and everyday life.
Choose treatment with your prescriber
These medicines can reduce appetite and food intake. Choosing one depends on your health history, other medicines, pregnancy plans, expected benefit, side effects and cost. Your coach supports habits and training; your clinician guides treatment. Australian clinical overview
Put it into practice: Talk through benefits, monitoring and cost with your prescriber. Mention all medicines, health conditions and pregnancy plans before agreeing on treatment.
Results vary by medicine and person
In direct trials without diabetes, average weight loss was 15.8% with semaglutide versus 6.4% with liraglutide over 68 weeks, and 20.2% with tirzepatide versus 13.7% with semaglutide over 72 weeks. Both included lifestyle support. These are total-weight averages, not personal forecasts or pure fat loss. (1) (2) (3)
Put it into practice: Use the figures to discuss likely benefits with your prescriber, rather than treating the largest average as the best choice for everyone.
Health benefits depend on the population
In SELECT, major cardiovascular events occurred in 6.5% with semaglutide versus 8.0% with placebo over roughly 3.3 years, in people already living with cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity. Tirzepatide reduced diabetes diagnoses during treatment in people with obesity and prediabetes. Neither finding establishes universal or permanent prevention. (4) (6)
Put it into practice: Keep building walking or another type of cardio you can repeat. Weighing less doesn't automatically improve endurance or replace your wider health care. (8)
Protect strength and function
Weight loss can include lean tissue, which isn't identical to muscle or strength. Exercise alongside liraglutide added fitness and body-fat benefits, but no programme can guarantee zero lean-tissue loss. (7) (8)
Put it into practice: Keep recoverable strength sessions and regular meals with protein, varied foods and fluids. Adjust training if symptoms or low intake affect recovery, and ask a dietitian for help if meeting your needs is difficult. (7)
Keep symptoms and recovery in view
Ongoing nausea, vomiting, bowel symptoms or difficulty eating and drinking deserve attention. Real-world results vary with treatment, access and other circumstances; more weight loss isn't a good result if health or everyday function worsens. (1) (9)
Put it into practice: Check strength, stamina, meals, fluids and symptoms alongside agreed clinical monitoring. Tell your treating team about persistent weakness; severe or persistent abdominal pain, repeated vomiting or inability to keep fluids down needs prompt assessment. Don't change doses yourself.
Plan for the longer term
Regain after stopping is common. In SURMOUNT-4, those switching to placebo regained 14% of their weight at randomisation over a year, while continuing treatment led to further loss. (5)
Put it into practice: Discuss affordability, supply, follow-up and support early. If you're considering stopping, agree a plan with your prescriber rather than relying on a promised reset. (5)
Newer medicines need the same scrutiny
Cagrilintide plus semaglutide produced 20.4% average weight loss versus 3.0% with placebo at 68 weeks in REDEFINE 1; it wasn't directly compared with tirzepatide. Company announcements about retatrutide need separate checking. Promising results don't settle local approval or lifetime safety. (10) Sponsor update
Put it into practice: Look for completed human trials and check local approval with your clinician. Avoid investigational compounds from unregulated sellers. (10)