Weight Loss Medications
Losing 30-50 pounds can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to do it alone. For many individuals, combining lifestyle changes with medical interventions can provide the best results. While diet and exercise remain foundational, weight loss medications have emerged as a valuable tool to support sustained weight loss.
At Stony Brook, we offer personalized weight loss solutions to help you achieve real, sustainable results.
These medications are designed to help in various ways, including:
- Reducing appetite
- Increasing feelings of fullness
- Altering how the body absorbs calories
Weight loss medications are typically recommended for individuals with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher, or 27 with obesity-related health conditions such as diabetes or hypertension.
Facts About Weight Loss Medications
While lifestyle changes like diet and exercise are essential, weight loss medications can be the key to success when combined with professional guidance. Our team specializes in evidence-based treatments that are tailored to your unique, individualized goals and health needs. Together, we can find the right path to a healthier you.
Some key facts about weight loss medications include:
- Medications, in pill form or injectables, can be used for the long-term management of obesity. Patients on average lose between 5-15 percent of their initial weight over one year.
- Common side effects of weight loss medications include nausea, gastrointestinal disturbances, palpitations and headaches.
- Medications for weight loss are intended and approved for long-term use. Scientific research suggests that the majority of the weight lost with medications will return after discontinuation.
- These drugs do not work in isolation. When they do work, they help reduce someone’s appetite. It is crucial to use that time the right way and pay close attention to the types of foods that are consumed. That’s where nutritional counseling becomes a key part of success.
- Maintaining muscle mass during weight loss is very important. To do so, this often means maintaining high protein food intake, as well as increased physical activity.
- Patients with diabetes who use these medications lose, on average, less weight than patients without diabetes (5-12 percent of initial weight).
Understanding the Types of Weight-Loss Medications
What it is: Medications that regulate appetite and slow digestion to help you feel full longer.
How it works: These drugs mimic a hormone called GLP-1 that regulates appetite and blood sugar levels. They slow stomach emptying, reduce hunger and increase feelings of fullness, helping individuals eat less.
Who it’s not for: Individuals with a history of pancreatitis, medullary thyroid cancer or specific allergies should avoid GLP-1 agonists. Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals should also not use these medications.
Expected results: Average weight loss of 10-20 percent of your total body weight over 12-16 months.
*Tirzepatide is a GLP-1 and GIP receptor agonist
What it is: Medications that reduce hunger and cravings, helping you eat less.
How it works: These medications affect the central nervous system to decrease appetite, helping to limit calorie intake.
Who it’s not for: People with uncontrolled hypertension, heart disease, glaucoma or a history of substance misuse should avoid these medications.
Expected results: 5-12 percent of total body weight loss in as little as 3-12 months.
What it is: Targets appetite and cravings, especially for emotional eating.
How it works: This medication combines bupropion, an antidepressant, with naltrexone, typically used to treat addiction, to target appetite and cravings. The combination acts on brain pathways to reduce hunger and food cravings, especially for emotional eating.
Who is it for: Patients who struggle with food cravings or emotional eating patterns, and who may benefit from the mood-stabilizing effects of bupropion.
Who it’s not for: People with a history of seizures, eating disorders, or those taking opioid pain medications should avoid this treatment.
Expected results: 5-6 percent of total body weight loss over 12 months.
What it is: Blocks dietary fat absorption, reducing calorie intake.
How it works: By inhibiting the enzyme lipase, it prevents about 30 percent of dietary fat from being absorbed, instead eliminating it through bowel movements.
Who is it for: Those who consume a diet with moderate to high fat content and are seeking a non-stimulant medication option.
Who it’s not for: Individuals with chronic malabsorption syndromes or gallbladder issues may not tolerate this medication well.
Expected results: 5-8 percent weight loss over 6-12 months.
