Are You a Candidate for the New Weight Loss Drugs: Semaglutide or Tirzepatide?

Did you know more adults in the United States are overweight or obese than are at a healthy body weight? This isn’t great news since weighing more than you should is linked to significant health complications. 

If you’re ready to reclaim your health and lose weight, you’re making the right choice. And you might be wondering if the newest weight-loss drugs on the market can help.   

Our providers at Physicians WEIGHT LOSS Centers Pompano Beach in South Florida can help you understand if you’re a candidate for FDA-approved semaglutide and tirzepatide. 

Losing weight is essential for your health

You’re considered to have a healthy weight when your mass lands in the “normal” range on the body mass index (BMI) scale. This means having a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9. 

Once your BMI falls between 25-29.9, you’re considered overweight, and having a BMI of 30 or higher means you’re considered obese. Having a BMI of 40 or higher is morbidly obese. 

These numbers don’t define you, but they do help our team evaluate your risk for serious health complications. That is important because the higher your BMI, the greater your risk of developing a significant health issue — including death.  

Typically, when you carry excess weight, the health of your entire body is affected. That includes your physical, mental, and emotional health. Some medical and health complications associated with being overweight or obese include:

• Elevated risk for most kinds of cancer 
• Hypertension and stroke
• Diabetes
• Sleep apnea
• Coronary artery disease
• Pancreatitis
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
• Gallbladder disease
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome
• Infertility
• Abnormal periods
• Osteoarthritis
• Gout
• Urinary incontinence
• Mental health disorders

Keep in mind this list is not complete, and weighing more than you should is associated with many other significant health issues, including metabolic syndrome. This syndrome describes health conditions related to weight that occur together, such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and others.

Eligibility for semaglutide and tirzepatide

Semaglutide and tirzepatide are new FDA-approved medications that help qualifying patients lose significant weight when combined with healthy lifestyle changes, like adopting a balanced diet and regular exercise. 

Semaglutide mimics a hormone your body already produces, called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1). This hormone has several jobs, including regulating your appetite and helping control blood sugar by triggering the release of insulin from the pancreas. 

Tirzepatide also mimics this hormone and triggers glucagon-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP), which helps you feel more satisfied after eating by boosting insulin release.  

Both medications are effective, with semaglutide helping patients shed 15% of their starting weight and tirzepatide between 15-21% on average. Factors such as dose, starting weight, age, and underlying health conditions might mean you can lose more or less while taking these medications.  

Generally, semaglutide and tirzepatide are usually recommended to patients who have a:

• BMI over 27, along with one or more health conditions related to weight gain (such as type 2 diabetes) OR
• BMI over 30 

Certain conditions, like endocrine disorders, pancreatitis, or significant GI disease, may mean these medicines aren’t for you, even if you meet the above criteria. 

Semaglutide and tirzepatide can help with your weight loss journey, but you need to have realistic goals and expectations for weight loss and be committed to a healthy diet, exercise, and other lifestyle changes. 

Our weight-loss counselors work with you to ensure you meet your goals and stay on track, providing check-ins to keep you motivated and support when you need it most. 

Ready to find out if you’re a candidate for semaglutide or tirzepatide? Schedule a consultation online or over the phone at Physicians WEIGHT LOSS Centers Pompano Beach in Pompano Beach, Florida.