Your browser is out of date

With an updated browser, you will have a better Medtronic website experience. Update my browser now.

×

Skip to main content

Weight loss
treatment
options

  

The right treatment can be your way forward.

The path to a fuller life and a healthier future starts with finding the right treatment. And often, there isn’t a single approach to weight loss success.

To gain the most health benefits, you may want to consider a mix of treatments that work best for your body and life. And you’ll want to seek expert support to help identify what treatments can add up to lifelong wellness that’s personalized to you.

What weight loss looks like by treatment


Lifestyle
changes
Expected
weight loss:

3.2%
of your overall body weight.1


Weight loss
medication
Expected weight loss in one year:

2.9%-6.0%
of your overall body weight.2


Weight loss
surgery
Expected weight loss in one year:

20%-33%
of your overall body weight.3

Maintaining a healthy diet and exercise makes sense for everyone. But when it comes to obesity, lifestyle changes may not be enough to move the scale significantly or make weight loss stick. 

Weight loss is hard. Not because of lack of effort or willpower, but because our bodies naturally try to put the weight back on when we lose it. The body responds with an increase in the production of hunger hormones and a decrease in the production of fullness hormones.4  

If you are holding on to more weight than you want despite diet and exercise, find out what your future can hold with the right weight loss treatment.

Why weight loss surgery may be your best move

While there are many treatment options, weight loss surgery can be an effective solution for those with obesity.5  Studies show surgery can lead to greater and more sustained weight loss outcomes.6 

When conventional weight loss treatments don’t work, weight loss surgery can.

Learn about weight loss surgery
friends-beach

Am I eligible for weight loss surgery?

Knowing if you’re the right fit for weight loss surgery depends on many factors. Your doctor may consider surgery if some of the following applies to you:

  • You’re committed to the required lifestyle changes and follow-up care. 
  • Your BMI is ≥40 and you are more than 45 kg  overweight. 
  • Your BMI is ≥35 and you have at least one or more obesity-related comorbidities such as Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, sleep apnea and other respiratory disorders, or heart disease. 
  • You’re unable to achieve a healthy weight loss for a sustained period with prior weight loss efforts.
  • Please consult your doctor to see if weight loss surgery is right for you.

The benchmark for wellness: your BMI

There are many small decisions you can make and steps you can take on your path to weight loss.

Start by calculating your body mass index (BMI) to find out whether obesity is a risk for you. If it is, consider talking to your doctor about your best move for long-term weight loss.

Adult BMI calculator

BMI is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. A higher BMI may put you at risk for weight related health problems.

cm
kg

Your BMI is 40.0 which indicates you're in the obese category.Please consult your doctor to discuss your results and potential weight loss treatment options.

1

Sumithran P and Proietto J. The defense of body weight: a physiological basis for weight regain after weight loss. Clin Sci 2103; 124:231-41.

2

Pilitsi E, et al. Pharmacotherapy of obesity: Available medications and drugs under investigation. Metab Clin Exp 2019; 92: 170–92.

3

Ramos A, et al. The International Federation for the Surgery of Obesity and Metabolic Disorders Fifth IFSO Global Registry Report 2019.

4

Boutari, C et al. Of mice and men: Why progress in the pharmacological management of obesity is slower than anticipated and what could be done about it? Metabolism July 2019 Volume 96, Pages vi–xi.

5

ASMBS. Benefits of Weight loss Surgery. ASMBS Website. https://asmbs.org/patients/benefits-of-weight-loss-surgery. Accessed Dec 6, 2021.

6

Courcoulas A, Yanovski S, Bonds D, et al. Long-term outcomes of bariatric surgery: A national institutes of health symposium. JAMA Surg. 2014 Dec; 149(12): 1323-1329. 

Information on this site should not be used as a substitute for talking with your doctor. Always talk with your doctor about diagnosis and treatment information.