The injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist semaglutide (Wegovy), which was approved by the FDA in 2021 for chronic weight management in adults, has now been approved for chronic weight management in children ≥12 years old with an initial BMI in the ≥95th percentile for age and sex.Semaglutide is also available as Ozempic and Rybelsus for treatment of type 2 diabetes in adults.

View the Comparison Table: Some Drugs for Weight Management

Overweight is generally defined as a body mass index (BMI) between 25 and 29.9 kg/m2 in adults. A BMI ≥30 is considered obese (criteria differ slightly in Asian patients). In patients with an elevated BMI, a 5-10% reduction in weight has been associated with a reduction in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Diet, exercise, and behavior modification are the traditional methods for losing weight, but they are often inadequate; the American College of Cardiology no longer recommends that all patients try lifestyle modification alone before adding...

Plenity (Gelesis), a nonsystemic oral superabsorbent hydrogel formulation of cellulose and citric acid is now available. It was cleared by the FDA in 2019 to aid in weight management together with diet and exercise in overweight and obese adults (BMI of 25-40 kg/m2). It is classified by the FDA as a device because the contents of the capsule are not absorbed systemically. Plenity is the first ingested, transient, space-occupying hydrogel to be marketed in the US and the only weight management treatment available by prescription for patients with a BMI of 25-30 kg/m2, regardless of...