To be eligible for prescription weight loss treatments, you typically need a BMI over 30, or a BMI of 27 to 28 with additional medical conditions, depending on the specific medication. You can discover your BMI using the helpful NHS tool to assess your current status. It’s essential to understand that some medical conditions or other medications could reduce the effectiveness or safety of weight loss treatments.

Always consult a doctor before starting any weight loss medication and ensure that all information you provide is accurate. Taking inappropriate weight loss medication can result in serious health issues and severe side effects. For safe and effective weight loss solutions, speak to a healthcare professional today.

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Yes, a specific BMI is required to use prescription weight loss treatments, as they may not be safe or effective unless you are overweight or obese. Typically, a BMI over 27 or 28 is needed, depending on the treatment, along with a medical condition that affects your weight, such as diabetes. You can discover your BMI using the helpful NHS tool to assess your current status.

If your BMI is over 30, you may qualify for weight loss treatment even without an underlying medical condition.

Our healthcare professionals will begin with a comprehensive physical examination, which includes calculating your Body Mass Index (BMI) and measuring your waist circumference. This process helps us assess your overall health and create a tailored weight loss plan just for you.

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Certain medical conditions may make weight loss treatment unsuitable for you, depending on the specific medication. It’s important to consult a doctor before starting any weight loss treatment, especially if you have:

• Liver or kidney problems
• Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
• Thyroid conditions
• Heart issues
• Epilepsy or a history of seizures
• Anxiety or other mental health conditions
• Chronic malabsorption syndrome (difficulty absorbing nutrients)

Weight loss treatments are not suitable for anyone under 18, or for those who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Additionally, you should avoid these medications if you are allergic to any of their ingredients. Always consult a healthcare professional before use.

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Some medications may interact with weight loss treatments, potentially reducing their effectiveness or causing unsafe side effects. It’s important to speak to your doctor if you’re taking any other medications, especially:

• Epilepsy medication
• HIV treatment
• Mental health medications
• Heart medications like amiodarone
• Blood thinners, such as warfarin
• Hypothyroidism treatments like iodine salts
• Diabetes medications
• Parkinson’s disease treatments, especially monoamine oxidase inhibitors
• Opiates
• Steroids
• Malaria treatments
• Antibiotics or other infection treatments
• Asthma medications, such as theophylline

Always consult your healthcare provider to ensure safe use of weight loss treatments alongside other medications.

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Each weight loss treatment may cause slightly different side effects due to variations in active ingredients. These side effects typically subside within a few days but can sometimes last longer. If the side effects persist or become bothersome, consult your doctor.

The most common side effects across most weight loss treatments include:

• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhoea or constipation
• Headache
• Nausea or vomiting
• Changes in taste
• Fatigue
• Potential risk of gastroparesis (delayed stomach emptying)

For a complete list of side effects, refer to the information in your medication packet.

Remember, everyone responds to treatment differently, and rapid weight loss can also cause side effects. You might experience changes in your skin, such as stretch marks, or irregularities in your menstrual cycle.

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Prescription weight loss treatment can be used to lose weight, but you should still exercise regularly and eat a healthy and balanced diet. Some people may be able to get weight loss surgery, but this is rare.

Exercise

Exercise can help with weight loss as you burn up calories by being active. When you eat food, energy is stored in your body as fat. If you eat more food than the energy you expend, you will gain weight. Your body needs physical activity to burn the energy from your food. It can also help to prevent and manage some medication conditions, like diabetes. This will help you lose weight and maintain a healthy weight.

According to the NHS, you should do around 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise every week. This could be things like dancing, cycling, and power walking. You can also do 75 minutes of higher intensity exercise, like running and circuit training. The best way to use exercise for weight loss is by combining moderate and high intensity exercise.

You should also work on your balance and strength at least twice a week. This could involve using weights or doing activities like tai chi and yoga.

Health Plus Pharmacy provides advice on exercising to lose weight as part of the Weight Loss Guide included in our service.

Diet

Your diet is important when trying to lose weight. The NHS advises reducing your calorie intake by 600 calories every day. For women, this means having no more than 1400 calories a day or 1900 calories for men. To achieve a healthy and balanced diet, you should increase the amount of healthy foods you eat. This includes:

• fruits
• vegetables
• healthy fats like avocado
• wholegrains
• nuts
• beans
• natural yoghurt

There are also some foods you should avoid or limit when trying to lose weight, such as:

• sugary food and drinks, like sweets and chocolate
• high fat foods, especially ones containing saturated fat
• oily or fried foods
• crisps
• white bread
• alcohol

To achieve a healthy and balanced diet, you should have lots of fruit and vegetables, some protein sources like meat, fish, and eggs, some dairy foods, some whole grain foods like rice and potatoes, and minimal amounts of fatty and sugary foods.

Surgery

Weight loss surgery can help you lose weight, but this is usually a last resort. Surgery is for people who have struggled to lose weight with other treatment methods. The most common types of weight loss surgery include:

• Gastric band – a band that goes around your stomach, which reduces the amount of food you need to eat before you feel full
• Gastric bypass – your stomach is joined to your small intestine, so your body absorbs fewer calories from food, and you feel fuller with less food
• Sleeve gastrectomy - part of your stomach is removed, which also reduces the amount of food you can eat

These surgeries can help you lose weight as your stomach is smaller, so you feel fuller from less food. This makes it easier to eat less and lower your calorie intake. However, you will still need to eat healthily to get your nutrition. You may be suitable for weight loss surgery if you are fit enough to get weight loss surgery and if you:

• are severely obese with a BMI of over 40
• are obese with a BMI over 35 and have certain medical conditions

You may be able to get surgery straight away if your BMI is over 50. Like any surgery, there are some risks involved, but it is usually safe if your doctor has recommended it. Weight loss surgery is not suitable for everyone, and you may not be able to get it on the NHS.

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