The Insider’s Guide to Weight Loss Medication
Understanding the benefits
Weight loss medication has been a genuinely important breakthrough in medicine. Used in the right way, for the right people, it can be an extremely helpful tool to support weight reduction and improve long-term health.
For many patients, weight management is a complex and long-standing struggle. People often come to us having made repeated, sustained efforts with diet and exercise without achieving the improvements in weight or health they were hoping for. In these situations, medication can offer additional support by helping to regulate appetite, reduce cravings and make portion control feel more manageable.
When weight loss medication is prescribed properly and supported with lifestyle changes, the health benefits can be significant. Even modest weight loss can improve blood sugar control, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and joint strain. These changes can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and other weight-related health problems.
Beyond physical health, many patients experience improvements in energy levels, confidence and self-esteem. Feeling supported and understood throughout the process is often just as important as the medication itself. It is important to be clear that weight loss medication is not a quick fix. It is a medical tool that works best when combined with nutrition, movement, behavioural support and ongoing clinical care.
The downsides
Weight loss medication is prescription-only for a reason. It should be prescribed by a qualified medical professional and supplied through a regulated pharmaceutical chain. This ensures the medication is genuine, appropriate and safe for the individual taking it.
Unfortunately, regulatory loopholes have allowed these medications to be supplied by unregulated or unsuitable providers including personal trainers, beauty therapists and some online sellers. In many cases, this means medication is provided without proper medical assessment, nutritional guidance, monitoring or follow-up. This places patients at unnecessary risk.
Even when medication is supplied through regulated routes, the level of support provided can vary significantly. Weight loss medication is designed to reduce appetite, not eliminate it. Complete appetite suppression and rapid weight loss are unsafe and can lead to serious consequences including:
Hair thinning or hair loss
Fatigue and low energy
Muscle loss and a reduction in metabolism
Nutrient deficiencies including iron, B12 and zinc
Poor skin quality and delayed healing
Hormonal disruption
Gallstones
Sagging or lax skin
Rapid, unsupported weight loss can also negatively affect mental wellbeing and encourage unhealthy relationships with food. Over time, this undermines both physical health and long-term success.
Who should, and should not, use weight loss medication
Weight loss medication may be beneficial for:
Individuals with a BMI in the overweight or obese range where weight is affecting health
Those who have struggled to lose weight despite sustained diet and exercise efforts
People with metabolic resistance or hormonal challenges
Patients who are willing to engage with nutritional guidance and medical monitoring
Weight loss medication is not appropriate for:
Individuals with a healthy or low BMI
People with a history of eating disorders
Patients unwilling to follow nutritional advice
Individuals unable or unwilling to engage in ongoing clinical follow-up
Lifestyle changes without medication carry only benefits and no associated medical risks and remain the safest approach for many people.
Responsible prescribing ensures weight loss medication is used as a tool to support health and long-term wellbeing, not as a shortcut.
Long-term use and stopping medication
For some individuals, weight loss medication may be used for longer periods, sometimes over two years. At present, there is limited long-term safety data so ongoing use requires careful medical monitoring, nutritional support and lifestyle guidance.
Where weight loss medication is used, the goal is always to support patients towards a healthy weight they can maintain long term. Medication should help people reach a point where they no longer need it and feel happy, confident and well without ongoing reliance.
When you are ready to stop medication, it should always be planned and supervised. Abrupt cessation, particularly without strong nutritional habits in place, can lead to weight regain. With the right preparation and support, medication can be reduced or stopped while maintaining health benefits.
Success should not be measured purely by the number on the scales. Improvements in strength, energy, metabolic health and sustainability are far more meaningful indicators of progress.
What happens when weight loss medication is misused
Misuse occurs when weight loss medication is prescribed or supplied without appropriate assessment or when patients are not given the nutritional guidance and follow-up they need.
We regularly hear from patients who have been maintained on the highest possible doses without any nutritional advice, monitoring or review. This approach does not support healthy or sustainable weight loss and increases the risk of malnutrition, muscle loss and poor skin quality.
Medical oversight and ongoing support are essential to ensure weight loss medication is used safely and effectively.
Online medication: convenience, cost and hidden risks
Online weight loss medication can be appropriate when supplied through a regulated pharmacy by qualified prescribers. However, increasing competition on price has led some providers to prioritise cost over patient care.
When medication is offered as cheaply as possible, important elements such as medical review, nutritional guidance, dose adjustment and follow-up are often reduced or removed. This leaves patients managing powerful prescription medication without the support they deserve.
Patients should always check that suppliers are registered with the GPhC. Only a GPhC-registered pharmacy can ensure:
Safe storage and supply standards
Professional accountability
Access to appropriate medical oversight
The cheapest option is rarely the safest. True value lies in proper prescribing, clinical support and sustainable health outcomes.
A holistic approach to weight, skin and confidence
Weight loss medication can be a highly effective medical tool when used responsibly but it is only one part of a much bigger picture. Sustainable weight loss is not just about reducing body weight. It is about health, strength, skin quality and confidence.
One of the most overlooked challenges of weight loss, particularly when it happens quickly or without adequate support, is skin laxity. As weight reduces, the skin does not always tighten at the same pace, especially as collagen production naturally declines with age. This can leave people feeling disappointed even when weight loss goals are achieved.
For this reason, weight management must be approached holistically. Supporting nutrition, preserving muscle mass and actively addressing skin health are essential. The goal is not simply to weigh less, but to feel well in your body, confident in your appearance and comfortable in your skin.
As a result, after careful consideration, we have made the decision to no longer offer weight loss medication as a standalone treatment. Instead, it is incorporated, where clinically appropriate, into comprehensive weight management and skin treatment plans. This allows us to support firmness, elasticity and long-term skin quality alongside safe, medically led weight reduction.
When weight loss is guided properly, supported nutritionally and approached with genuine care, the outcome is not just a change on the scales. It is feeling strong, healthy and confident, sustaining a weight that feels right for you and seeing that reflected in how you look, feel and live every day.
This is the holistic approach that The Secret Garden was founded on.