What are appetite suppressants?
Appetite suppressants are a type of weight-loss medication (sometimes called diet pills) for people who have obesity (a body mass index, or BMI, over 30). They affect how your body and brain experience appetite and hunger. Appetite suppressants can make you feel less hungry or make you feel full faster after eating less food. As a result, you may take in fewer calories and lose weight.
It’s important to know that appetite suppressants don’t work on their own. Studies show that they’re most beneficial for weight loss when you combine them with a reduced-calorie eating plan and regular physical activity.
Types of appetite suppressants
There are prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) appetite suppressants. Prescription appetite suppressants can be for long-term or short-term use.
Check with your healthcare provider before using OTC diet pills. Some OTC appetite suppressants may interact with medications or cause health problems.
Prescription appetite suppressants for long-term use
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved these prescription appetite suppressants for long-term use:
Prescription appetite suppressants for short-term use
Other FDA-approved prescription appetite suppressants are for short-term use only — typically up to 12 weeks (three months), including:
These short-term appetite suppressants are controlled substances. This means they have addiction potential and can be dangerous if you use them outside of their intended, prescribed use. If you have substance use disorder (SUD) or a family history of SUD, be sure to tell your healthcare provider before starting these medications.
Laws regarding how long you can take these types of appetite suppressants may vary from state to state.
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How do appetite suppressants work?
Hunger, appetite and energy homeostasis (balance) are very complex bodily processes. They involve the interaction of several chemicals in your:
These chemicals include:
- Hormones: These are chemicals that coordinate different functions in your body. They come from endocrine system tissues and travel through your blood to target tissues. Some examples of hormones that play a role in appetite include ghrelin, leptin, insulin and cortisol.
- Neurotransmitters: These carry signals from one neuron (nerve cell) to the next target cell. Neurotransmitters like GABA and serotonin play a role in appetite.
- Peptides: These are chains of amino acids. They’re like small proteins. Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is one example of a peptide that’s involved in appetite.
Some of these chemicals increase appetite and hunger and others decrease them.
Prescription appetite suppressants work by blocking or increasing specific hormones, neurotransmitters and/or peptides. Each one works differently and targets different chemicals. But they generally work in two ways — making you feel less hungry or feel full faster when you eat.
Who can use appetite suppressants?
Healthcare providers only recommend appetite suppressants for people who have obesity — mainly when modified eating plans and increased exercise alone haven’t helped with weight loss. Obesity typically means you have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
Providers may also recommend appetite suppressants if you have a BMI greater than 27 and have a condition or symptoms that may be related to obesity, like:
FAQs
The combination of weight-loss medicine and lifestyle changes leads to greater weight loss than do lifestyle changes alone. Taking these drugs for a year can mean a loss of total body weight of 3% to 12% more than that lost with lifestyle changes alone.
What is the downside of appetite suppressant? ›
Some appetite suppressants can interact with medications, including antidepressants and anti-anxiety drugs (anxiolytics). Appetite suppressants can also worsen certain health conditions — like high blood pressure, mood disorders and glaucoma, for example.
What is the most effective weight loss prescription? ›
GLP-1 agonists are currently the most effective anti-obesity medications and are considered safe for long-term use. Currently, only liraglutide (Saxenda), semaglutide (Wegovy), and tirzepatide (Zepbound) are approved for weight loss, though some other GLP-1 drugs may be prescribed off-label.
How did Kelly Clarkson lose all her weight? ›
Exercise and a healthy diet can help reduce the risk of it progressing. Clarkson credits her move to New York City for helping her get active. In an exclusive interview with People, she revealed that she's lost weight because she's now taking her wellness seriously and walking more.
Why am I not losing weight on Ozempic? ›
There could be several reasons why you're not losing weight on Ozempic — from being too stressed out to not exercising or sleeping enough. You may need to change up your diet or have your healthcare provider adjust your dosage. Or, it could be as simple as not giving the drug enough time to work.
What is better weight loss with Ozempic or Wegovy? ›
Studies comparing Wegovy and Ozempic show both drugs are effective at helping patients diagnosed with obesity or overweight reduce their body weight, but Wegovy reduces weight more effectively than Ozempic does.
Is there a healthy way to suppress appetite? ›
Eat more high fiber foods
This means fiber stays in the digestive tract longer, slowing digestion and keeping people full longer. Research from 2022 suggests that fiber can be an effective appetite suppressant. The research also shows that high fiber diets are associated with lower obesity rates.
Why am I still hungry on phentermine? ›
Some patients become hungrier around 3-4 months because they stop following the diet as closely and they start eating foods that stimulate the appetite. Phentermine is still working, but eating the wrong foods can stimulate your appetite more than phentermine will suppress it.
What's the best appetite stimulant? ›
Megestrol (Megace ES), dronabinol (Marinol, Syndros), and oxandrolone are FDA-approved appetite stimulants that can promote weight gain and nutritional intake when needed. Mirtazapine (Remeron) is an antidepressant that's sometimes taken off-label to boost appetite.
What is the King Kong of Weight Loss drugs? ›
The FDA has recently approved a groundbreaking weight-loss medication called Zepbound, also known as the "King Kong" of weight-loss drugs.
It has experienced a shortage due to increased demand. It turns out that the drug's high popularity is based on its weight-loss effects, and that fact is harmful to people who need it for more important health reasons than those perceived by many to be about vanity.
What pill makes you lose the most weight? ›
Phentermine is the oldest and most widely used weight loss medication. It was originally used as a short-term medication to jump-start weight loss, but now newer medical guidelines have added it to long-term therapy. Some patients may lose about 5% of their body weight by taking phentermine.
How did Melissa McCarthy lose weight? ›
She fell into the trap of fad dieting
After securing her role as Sookie St. James in Gilmore Girls in the early 2000s, McCarthy went on a doctor-advised all-liquid diet, which led her to lose 70 pounds.
How did Adele lose weight? ›
“It was never about losing weight, it was always about becoming strong and giving myself as much time every day without my phone,” she told British Vogue. She explained later in the interview that she didn't follow a diet, and that the weight loss happened over the course of two years through exercise.
Did Kelly Clarkson take Ozempic? ›
Dr. Simmons notes that while Kelly Clarkson's use of Ozempic has brought the drug into the limelight, it's important to understand that its use should be part of a comprehensive weight management plan overseen by healthcare professionals.
What prescription drug will make you lose weight? ›
The table below lists prescription drugs approved by the FDA for weight loss. The FDA has approved five of these drugs—orlistat (Xenical, Alli), phentermine-topiramate (Qsymia), naltrexone-bupropion (Contrave), liraglutide (Saxenda), and semaglutide (Wegovy)—for long-term use.
How do you qualify for prescription weight loss pills? ›
FDA guidelines recommend that weight-loss medicines may be considered for people who have tried lifestyle changes and meet one or more of the following conditions:
- BMI equal or greater than 30.
- BMI equal or greater than 27 with one or more obesity-related conditions (like high blood pressure or diabetes)
Most employer health plans don't cover new blockbuster weight loss drugs, but that's going to change. Consumers are clamoring for weight loss drugs like Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound despite a monthly cost as high as $1,000 to $1,500, and using every discount they can source to lower the price.
How much do you have to weigh to get weight loss pills? ›
Following a healthy diet and staying physically active can help. So can prescription drugs. Weight loss drugs may be an option for you if have obesity, which is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher. For an adult who is 5 foot 8 inches tall, that's a weight of 197 pounds or more.
