Who can receive medication for overweight?

Today, several medications are approved for the treatment of overweight in adults.

Medication treatment is recommended for obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²) or for overweight (BMI ≥ 27 kg/m²) if complications or risk factors are present at the same time. Examples include high blood pressure, elevated blood lipids, high blood sugar, atherosclerosis, or sleep apnea.

Medications may also be used to maintain achieved weight loss, for example in people who previously had severe overweight and lost weight through dietary changes or after weight-loss surgery, such as gastric bypass surgery.

All licensed physicians who treat patients with overweight have the right to prescribe approved medications for the disease obesity (overweight). The responsible physician always makes the individual medical assessment to ensure that the treatment is appropriate and provided in accordance with scientific evidence and established clinical practice.

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