The basics of weight loss medications

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August 29, 2025

Obesity is a chronic, relapsing condition with biological drivers that go far beyond “willpower”. Over the last decade, high-quality randomised trials and UK guidance have established a clear role for prescription medicines alongside nutrition, physical activity and behavioural support. In short: the evidence has caught up with clinical reality, and the NHS pathway now reflects that.

Some weight loss medications are safe, as long as you make careful choices

Multiple large trials show that with structured lifestyle support, certain weight management medicines with certain active ingredients, produced by certain companies are safe to use for certain people and can be effective support to achieve weight loss goals.

That’s a lot of “certains“…

Weight loss medications are not for everyone and not all brands and sellers provide safe products. The doses and the length of use have to be carefully supervised by a health professional, and they always need to be taken alongside the right dietary and lifestyle changes.

Let’s unwrap the topic…

Licensed weight loss medications

As of now there are 4 safe and effective active ingredients: Orlistat, Semaglutide, Tirzepatide and Liraglutide – and these are now available on NHS with certain sets of criteria. These criteria are in relation to body mass index (BMI), diagnosed conditions, risk of disease and ethnicity. You can read the details on the NHS website here.

These active ingredients are used to make medications under different brand names. They come in form of pills that are taken orally, or injections that are administered directly under the skin.

Only licensed brands produce safe medications. In the UK the following brands are licensed:

Orlistat (Oral): Xenical, Alli, Orlos

Semaglutide: Wegovy (injection), Ozempic (injection), Rybelsus (oral)

Tiryepatide (injection): Munjaro

Liraglutide (injection): Saxenda, Victosa, Novolat, Biolide, liraglutide

Some of them are administered daily, others on a weekly basis.

It’s important that you only take licensed weight loss medication, in the right dose, under the supervision of a qualified health professional, alongside the right diet and lifestyle changes.

How they work

Orlistat is a lipase inhibitor, which means that it limits the production of enzymes that break down fat. This results in reduced fat absorption. The unprocessed fat (about 2/3 of what you consume), is emptied through the bowel, that can result in oily or loose stool. Therefore it is important to go on a low fat diet while taking Orlistat.

The other medications work through activating certain receptors (GLP-1 and/or GIP receptors). As a result food stays in the stomach for a longer period of time, blood glucose levels are better controlled, and the production of satiety hormones are increased. When you stop taking this type of medication, these receptors regain their functions, and everything goes back to normal. Therefore it is important to get used to a healthier diet and meal sizes, as well as to an appropriate exercise routine while taking this type of medication. This will help to keep the weight off after you stopped taking the medication.

With or without prescription

If you qualify for prescription, your general practitioner (GP) will offer you the right brands. Some brands are designed for type 2 diabetes, others for weight loss. Only Munjaro can be prescribed for both.

Your GP will only prescribe you weight loss medications if you have already made significant effort to lose weight and you were unsuccessful and/or you are diagnosed with, or are in high risk of metabolic or other diseases because of the extra weight.

There are only 2 brands that are available without prescription at the minute: Alli and Orlos. But even for these brands, the same criteria applies, and your supervising health professional will be your pharmacist.

Weight loss medications are also available through private healthcare providers. Some private healthcare providers are licensed to prescribe weight loss medication. They can only prescribed licensed medication and they must offer dietary and lifestyle support alongside the programme.

Staying safe

Taking unlicensed weight loss medication can potentially result in serious health consequences. Make sure that your medicine is prescribed by a licensed practitioner and is bought from a registered pharmacy. Stay away from buying weight loss products from sellers on social media or any other website without a prescription.

This does not mean that it is not safe to buy weight loss medicine online. There are registered, safe suppliers that sell these products via online order, but (apart from Alli and Orlos) you always need a prescription.

The pitfall of online suppliers is their assessment process. It is difficult to assess a patient and their needs online. You must answer all questions honestly and truthfully so they can provide you with the right care. If false data is given, the treatment can be unsafe.

Check out this detailed guide about how to buy medication safely online.

The Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Authority (MHRA) warns, that in the UK, fake Ozempic and Saxenda pens have been found. Fake medication can be harmful.

Under this link you can check if the pharmacy you are planning to use is registered.

If you come across suspicious medication, you can report it through the Yellow Card Scheme.

Diet and lifestyle changes alongside weight loss medications

If you choose to take weight loss medication, your healthcare provider must advise and support you with dietary and lifestyle changes while you are under their care. It is important to stress, that weight loss medications do not replace healthy dietary and lifestyle choices, but rather, they can be taken alongside them, for better results.

This kind of support can be given by a registered dietitian or a registered nutritionist, or other health professionals that are specifically trained to do so.

Why is this important?

The medication alone are not likely to provide long-term results. Eating the right diet, the right portion sizes and exercise appropriately for your physical health are inevitable to get better and to reduce the risk of diseases.

How can a nutritionist help

The right diet and lifestyle can mean different things to everyone.

A nutritionist can assess your health history, your current state of health, look at your current diet and nutritional status, make calculations on your current and optimal calorie intake, have a look at your current routines and preferences, and fit your personal health programme in your current life. This will make your programme personalised and paced according to your needs, and makes those changes more sustainable and efficient.

Weight loss med workshops at WholeSoMe

I understand that this is a difficult decision to make. There is a huge amount of information out there, and the experiences you hear are mixed. Therefore I hold free workshops for those, who are interested to find out more about weight loss medications, because they want to know if it could be a solution for them. It’s also a great way to find out about the different types, how they work, how to access them, and how to buy and use them safely.

Ask your questions about the workshop here.

Northumberland, UK

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