Semaglutide is a GLP-1 receptor agonist that acts like a naturally occurring hormone involved in appetite, digestion, and blood-sugar regulation.

It may help you feel full sooner, remain satisfied longer, and experience fewer hunger signals or food cravings. It also slows the movement of food through the stomach. Combined with appropriate nutrition, activity, sleep, and behavioral support, semaglutide can help eligible patients achieve meaningful weight loss.

Semaglutide may be appropriate for some adults with obesity, or adults who are overweight and have a weight-related medical condition. Eligibility depends on the specific medication prescribed, your body mass index (BMI), health history, goals, and insurance criteria.

It may not be suitable if you have certain endocrine conditions; a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2; are pregnant; or have particular gastrointestinal or pancreatic conditions.

A medical evaluation is necessary to determine whether the benefits are likely to outweigh the risks for you.

Treatment generally begins with a low dose that is increased gradually as needed based on response and potential side effects. This allows your body time to adjust and can reduce gastrointestinal side effects.

We will monitor your weight, symptoms, nutrition, medications, progress, and any side effects. Treatment works best as part of a broader plan that supports sustainable eating patterns, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and preservation of muscle mass. Your dose may be adjusted or increased more slowly depending on how you respond.

Results vary. In major clinical studies of semaglutide used for chronic weight management, participants lost a meaningful percentage of their starting body weight on average when medication was combined with lifestyle changes.

That average is not a promise of an individual result. Some people lose more, some lose less, and some do not respond sufficiently to continue treatment. Your starting weight, dose, consistency, medical conditions, nutrition, activity, sleep, and individual biology can all affect the outcome. We focus on safe, sustainable progress and improvements in health, not only a number on the scale.

Some people notice reduced appetite or fewer cravings within the first few weeks. Weight loss is usually gradual and may become more noticeable as the dose is increased over several months.

Early results vary, and faster weight loss is not always better. We will monitor whether the medication is helping and whether you are tolerating it safely before making dose changes.

The most common side effects involve the digestive system, including:

• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or constipation
• Abdominal discomfort, bloating, or reflux
• Reduced appetite

Less common but potentially serious risks include pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, dehydration, kidney injury, severe GI symptoms, allergic reactions, or low blood sugar (particularly when combined with certain diabetes medications). Contact your clinician promptly if you develop severe or persistent abdominal pain, repeated vomiting, signs of dehydration, difficulty breathing, or swelling.

Yes. Semaglutide is intended to support, not replace, healthy routines.

You do not need to follow a harsh or highly restrictive diet. Instead, we generally encourage adequate protein, fiber-rich foods, appropriate portions, hydration, and a balanced eating pattern you can maintain. Resistance exercise and regular movement are especially important for preserving muscle and supporting long-term health. Your plan should be individualized to your medical needs, mobility, preferences, and relationship with food.

Appetite and hunger signals may return after the medication is stopped, and some people regain part or much of the weight they lost. This is not a personal failure. Obesity is a chronic medical condition, and the biological factors that contribute to weight gain can persist after treatment ends.

Before stopping, speak with your clinician. We can discuss the reason, whether a gradual transition is appropriate, alternative treatments, and strategies to support weight maintenance.

FDA-approved semaglutide products for weight management are intended for chronic use in appropriate patients. Long-term treatment may be reasonable when the medication remains effective, is well tolerated, and continues to provide more benefit than risk.

Ongoing follow-up is important. Your clinician should periodically review your progress, side effects, nutritional intake, other medications, and overall health. Semaglutide shouldn’t be continued automatically if it is ineffective, poorly tolerated, contraindicated, or no longer medically appropriate.

Yes. For appropriate patients, semaglutide may also reduce cardiovascular risk and improve metabolic health, not just body weight.

Wegovy® specifically is FDA-approved to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke in adults with established cardiovascular disease who are overweight or have obesity — a benefit confirmed in a large clinical trial. Other potential benefits include improved blood sugar control and reduced waist circumference, depending on the specific product and patient. Ozempic® carries separate FDA approvals for type 2 diabetes and related cardiovascular and kidney risk reduction.

These added benefits aren’t guaranteed for every patient or every semaglutide formulation, and semaglutide doesn’t replace other cardiovascular care like blood pressure management or smoking cessation. We’ll review your full health history to determine what benefits you may realistically expect.