{"id":58033,"date":"2023-04-16T16:50:24","date_gmt":"2023-04-16T20:50:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=58033"},"modified":"2025-11-20T16:58:01","modified_gmt":"2025-11-20T21:58:01","slug":"best-diabetes-drug-for-weight-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/best-diabetes-drug-for-weight-loss\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the best diabetes drug for weight loss?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Weight loss is no easy feat\u2014sometimes, a reduced-calorie diet and exercise are not enough to lead to significant change. And you may not want to take the leap to <\/span>bariatric surgery<\/span><\/a>. Enter a new(-ish) <\/span>class of drugs<\/span><\/a> originally developed for diabetes with the side effect of weight loss. This drug class is known as glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists and contains several FDA-approved medications. Drugs in this class, such as <\/span>Ozempic<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>Trulicity<\/span><\/a>, and <\/span>Victoza<\/span><\/a>, were initially developed to be used along with lifestyle changes like diet and exercise to control blood sugar levels (blood glucose levels) in adults with <\/span>Type 2 diabetes<\/span><\/a>. Some of these medications are also used in patients with heart disease (cardiovascular disease) to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events, like a heart attack or stroke. However, as more and more evidence shows that these prescription drugs promote weight loss, health professionals are increasingly prescribing them for the <\/span>off-label<\/span><\/a> use of chronic weight management in patients who do not have diabetes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What are these drugs, and could they work for you? Continue reading to learn more about GLP-1 agonist drugs, also called GLP-1s or GLP-1 receptor agonists.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How do weight loss drugs work?\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

GLP-1 agonists, such as Ozempic, work in three ways:<\/span><\/p>\n