GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide get most of the attention right now, and there's good reason for that. But they're far from the only approved way to treat obesity. Here's the fuller picture:
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Beyond the GLP-1s
Semaglutide and tirzepatide work by copying gut hormones that control appetite and blood sugar. There's also a pill version of that same approach now, called orforglipron, approved in April 2026. It's the first GLP-1 pill you can take any time of day without worrying about food or water timing, unlike earlier GLP-1 pills, which needed to be taken carefully around meals.
There are also several other medications that work in completely different ways, and they've actually been around a lot longer. Phentermine-topiramate and naltrexone-bupropion each combine two older medications to curb appetite through the brain and nervous system, rather than through gut hormones. Liraglutide is an earlier GLP-1 medication that came before the newer weekly versions; it's taken as a daily shot instead. And orlistat works completely differently. It blocks some of the fat from food from being absorbed in the gut, rather than affecting appetite at all.
When obesity has a specific, identifiable cause
For most people, obesity comes from a mix of things working together, like genetics, environment, and other factors. That's a big reason why the same treatment doesn't work for everyone. But for a smaller group of people, there's one clear, specific cause behind it, and there's a medication called setmelanotide made just for that.
Setmelanotide works on a specific pathway in the brain that controls hunger signals. It was first approved in 2020 for people with certain rare genetic conditions that directly disrupt that pathway. Then, in March 2026, the FDA approved it for a new group too: people whose obesity comes from damage to the hypothalamus, the part of the brain that controls appetite and metabolism, usually from a brain tumor or from the surgery or radiation used to treat one. In the study that led to this approval, people taking setmelanotide lost noticeably more weight than people taking a placebo.
This is a good example of something important: obesity isn't always the same problem with the same cause. Sometimes it's its own specific medical condition, one with a clear cause and its own targeted treatment, rather than just a general weight issue.
Surgery and non-surgical procedures
For some people, especially those with more severe obesity or health problems related to it, surgery works better than medication alone, and it's a well-established option. The two most common surgeries are sleeve gastrectomy, which removes most of the stomach, and gastric bypass, which reroutes part of the digestive system. Both are usually done through small incisions rather than a large open surgery.
There are also gentler, non-surgical options for people who don't need or don't want surgery. These include adjustable gastric bands, several types of balloons placed in the stomach to temporarily take up space, and procedures that shrink the stomach using stitches placed through the mouth, with no cuts on the outside of the body at all.
A safety note if you're considering one of these medications
For a while, pharmacies were allowed to make their own compounded versions of semaglutide and tirzepatide because there wasn't enough of the real thing to go around. That shortage is over now, and that loophole has been closing along with it. The FDA has also found real safety problems with compounded versions still out there.
As of May 2026, the agency had logged nearly 1,000 reports of problems tied to compounded semaglutide and over 700 for compounded tirzepatide, including dosing mistakes serious enough to send people to the hospital, plus counterfeit products and pharmacies that turned out not to be real at all. If you're using one of these medications, getting the FDA-approved version from a licensed pharmacy is simply the safer choice.
What researchers are studying now
A couple of other candidates are moving through late-stage testing too. Retatrutide, which works on three different appetite-related hormones at once instead of just one or two, led to more than 30% body weight loss in some people by the end of a two-year study. Another option, CagriSema, combines two different medications and worked better together than either one did alone.
Neither is approved yet. Both are still investigational, so they're not something anyone can be prescribed right now. Researchers have also flagged that illicit, compounded versions of retatrutide are already showing up online, even though the real drug isn't approved anywhere yet, which is exactly the kind of risk covered in the safety note above.
How to find an obesity study
You can search obesity and weight-management studies on our platform, filter by treatment type and location, and see whether you meet the basic criteria before applying. The process usually takes a few minutes, and a coordinator follows up afterward to walk you through next steps.
For example, a Phase 3 trial from Roche is currently recruiting adults with obesity or overweight (without type 2 diabetes) to test a new weight-loss medication called enicepatide.
Common questions
What is obesity? Obesity is a health condition involving excess body fat that raises the risk of other health problems. It's shaped by a mix of genetics, diet, activity levels, and hormones. Worldwide, about 1 in 8 people, or roughly 890 million adults, live with obesity.
Is obesity genetic? Yes, genetics play a big role. Studies suggest that up to 70% of the difference in body weight between people comes down to genes, not just habits or choices. Hundreds of genes have been linked to obesity, and some affect how easily the body stores fat, even in people who don't eat any more than others. Genes aren't the whole story, though; sleep, stress, surroundings, and daily habits all play a part too.
Do I need to try lifestyle changes before medication is an option? Usually not. Medication is typically used alongside lifestyle changes, not only after they've failed. Most obesity medications are approved for use together with diet and exercise, not as a replacement for them.
Is obesity medication meant to be temporary? For most approved options, no. Obesity is usually treated as a long-term condition, and weight tends to come back when medication stops. That's why these are generally meant to be taken long-term, not for a short course.
Are these medications safe for long-term use? Each medication, whether GLP-1 or older, has its own studied safety record and its own side effects to weigh. It's worth talking directly with a doctor about personal health history rather than assuming one option is automatically safer than another.