Research has proven that higher doses of Ozempic — 2.4 milligrams of semaglutide — are very effective for reducing weight in people with obesity. In one landmark study, people with obesity who used the drug in combination with lifestyle interventions lost about 15% percent of their body weight in 68 weeks. They lost about 34 pounds on average.

On average, those taking semaglutide lose between 10% to 15% of their total body weight. Ozempic and other semaglutide medications work for many people, but your results may not be the same as someone else’s, notes Acosta, who is also the co-founder of Phenomix Sciences, a precision obesity biotechnology company based in Excelsior, Minnesota.

In clinical trials, Ozempic has also been shown to help with weight loss, after 30 weeks, patients on Ozempic 0.5mg had lost 2.6 kg more than the placebo group, and patients on Ozempic 1mg lost 3.5 kg more than the placebo group. Although currently, Ozempic is not an FDA-approved weight loss medicine.

Ozempic isn’t approved for weight loss. But because of how it works, some people taking Ozempic lose weight as a side effect. If you don’t have diabetes, taking Ozempic for weight loss is considered an off-label use. Wegovy, a higher-dose version of Ozempic, is approved to help people manage their weight.