Disclaimer: None of the information in this article constitutes medical advice. All statements are merely the opinion of the writer(s). We recommend that patients follow their doctor’s guidance in regard to pharmaceutical medication.
There are several FDA-approved injections for weight loss. All are clinically shown to cause weight loss, but some are more effective than others.
But which injection for weight loss causes the greatest weight loss? Does this weight loss method have risks? What are the documented side effects? And are there any natural compounds which are clinically shown to cause weight loss?
In this article we'll answer all of these questions and more, as we analyze research studies on injections for weight loss to determine which is the most effective.
We'll also discuss how these medications work in the body, discuss the risk of side effects, and feature some natural options for weight loss which have clinical backing.
Key takeaways:
- All FDA-approved weight loss medications are proven to work
- Zepbound caused the greatest weight loss outcomes in our opinion
- Zepbound can cause severe side effects
Which Treatment is Most Effective?
At the time of publishing this article, there are at least four weight loss injection options: Zepbound, Ozempic, Saxenda and Wegovy.
Here's how much weight loss each treatment caused in clinical trials:
Zepbound caused weight loss of 15% after 72 weeks, as documented in a 2022 clinical trial.
Ozempic was shown to cause around 10 pounds of weight loss in 30 weeks in a 2022 medical review.
Saxenda caused average weight loss of around 15 pounds in 20 weeks, in a clinical trial published in the Lancet journal.
Wegovy is clinically shown to cause 14.9% body weight loss after 68 weeks.
Ozempic is not currently FDA-approved for weight loss, while the other three options here are.
As we discussed in our Zepbound reviews article, we consider this medication to be the most effective weight loss injection option because of its performance in head-to-head clinical trials against other weight loss drugs.
All of these medications have a "black box" warning from the FDA indicating potentially increased risk of cancer.
What are the Risks?
As we mentioned in the first section of this article, weight loss injections are associated with increased health risks in some individuals.
Zepbound's FDA label indicates a risk of thyroid C-cell tumors in a "black box" warning section.
The label also indicates that use of Zepbound has been associated with increased risk of severe gastrointestinal reactions, acute pancreatitis, hypersensitivity reactions, low blood sugar and more.
These risks seem to occur in a minority of patients, but are definitely worth considering and discussing with a doctor before signing up for weight loss injections.
Our Clean Weight Loss Picks
Ceylon cinnamon was described as "an effective anti-obesity agent" in a 2022 meta-analysis. The study authors concluded that effects were greater at doses at or over 3 grams daily.
Illuminate Labs Ceylon Cinnamon Extract is our standardized Ceylon cinnamon supplement which is third-party tested to ensure purity and potency.
Dietary fiber was shown in a medical review published in The Journal of Nutrition to cause 16 pounds of weight loss in 6 months when combined with moderate caloric restriction (750 calories per day below baseline).
MBG Organic Fiber Potency+ is our top fiber pick because it's certified organic, provides 7 g of fiber per serving and costs under $1.85 per serving at the time of updating this article.
Both of the products mentioned in this section are free of ingredients that we consider to be unhealthy.
We're not suggesting that these supplements should be used to treat any medical condition, or that they're as effective as any FDA-approved medication; rather, we're just sharing information that individuals averse to prescription medication can speak with their doctor about.
