{"id":652843,"date":"2026-06-22T21:04:10","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T21:04:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/652843\/"},"modified":"2026-06-22T21:04:10","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T21:04:10","slug":"weight-loss-is-zepbound-or-wegovy-more-effective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/652843\/","title":{"rendered":"Weight Loss: Is Zepbound or Wegovy More Effective?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"FemaleShare on Pinterest<\/a>Researchers say that GLP-1 drugs containing tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) may lead to greater weight loss. Image Credit: Tatsiana Volkava\/Getty ImagesA meta-analysis found that one type of GLP-1 medication may be more effective than others. The analysis showed that GLP-1s containing tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) helped people lose more weight than those containing semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy). Liraglutide (Saxenda) had the lowest weight loss percentage among users. The success of tirzepatide may be due to its dual mechanism, which targets multiple receptors. <\/p>\n

As around 2 in 5<\/a> U.S. adults meet the criteria for obesity, GLP-1 drugs have exploded in popularity as a weight loss aid.<\/p>\n

A recent meta-analysis<\/a> found that one of these medications may promote weight loss more effectively than others. The findings indicate that GLP-1s containing tirzepatide yield greater weight loss than semaglutide or liraglutide. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe were interested in finding which drug gives the most weight loss and doesn\u2019t have higher rates of side effects like nausea and gastrointestinal problems,\u201d Pooja Gokhale<\/a>, corresponding author of the review and a doctoral student in the University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, said in a press release<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u201cTirzepatide seems to be the better option,\u201d Gokhale said.<\/p>\n

The analysis found that those using tirzepatide (Zepbound or Mounjaro) lost 15\u201320% of their body weight. <\/p>\n

By comparison, participants taking semaglutide (Ozempic or Wegovy) lost around 12\u201313% of their body weight. Liraglutide (Saxenda) showed the lowest weight loss percentage, around 5%. <\/p>\n

GLP-1 medications<\/a> work by mimicking natural hormones in the gut, which help to lower blood sugar, slow digestion, and promote feelings of fullness to aid weight loss.<\/p>\n

Semaglutide and liraglutide target GLP-1 receptors, whereas tirzepatide targets both GLP-1 receptors and another gut hormone, GIP. This dual mechanism may be what\u2019s driving greater weight loss results with tirzepatide.<\/p>\n

The researchers also suggest that the way the body processes and interacts with the medication may play a role in weight loss. <\/p>\n

Liraglutide, in particular, has a half-life of only around 13 hours and requires a daily injection. Semaglutide and tirzepatide have half-lives of 1 week and 5 days, respectively, allowing weekly injections. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhile tirzepatide may achieve greater average weight loss, there is no single \u2018best\u2019 medication for every patient,\u201d said Clare Thompson<\/a>, a general practitioner and weight management services lead at Cadogan Clinic in the United Kingdom. Thompson wasn\u2019t involved in the study. <\/p>\n

\u201cFuture research will help us better understand whether the additional weight loss seen with tirzepatide translates into superior long-term health benefits compared with other GLP-1 therapies.\u201d<\/p>\n

While tirzepatide may lead to greater weight loss, a semaglutide medication may be more suitable for some people. <\/p>\n

Semaglutide is often less expensive than tirzepatide, which may be a deciding factor.<\/p>\n

\u201cSemaglutide has been on the market for longer and subsequently has more robust, long-term data on outcomes for reducing heart attacks<\/a> and strokes, and also good evidence to support a reduction in renal disease<\/a>,\u201d said Thompson. <\/p>\n

Semaglutide is also available as an oral pill<\/a>, which may help those who are averse to injections.<\/p>\n

Oral semaglutide (Rybelsus<\/a>) was the first oral GLP-1 approved by<\/a> the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It was originally approved to treat type 2 diabetes, but may also aid weight loss. In December 2025, the FDA also approved<\/a> an oral form of Wegovy<\/a> specifically for weight loss.<\/p>\n

Despite the widespread success of GLP-1s for weight loss, experts encourage healthy lifestyle habits, such as a balanced diet and regular exercise.<\/p>\n

\u201cObesity should be viewed as a chronic medical condition requiring a personalized treatment approach \u2014 there isn\u2019t a one-size-fits-all,\u201d said Thompson. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe best outcomes occur when pharmacological treatment is combined with sustainable lifestyle changes, including improved nutrition, regular physical activity, adequate protein intake, and resistance training to help preserve muscle mass during weight loss.\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Share on PinterestResearchers say that GLP-1 drugs containing tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) may lead to greater weight loss. Image…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":652844,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[42],"tags":[102,6591,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-652843","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-medication","tag-health","tag-medication","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/652843","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=652843"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/652843\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/652844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=652843"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=652843"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=652843"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}