If someone has had weight-loss surgery but didn’t lose enough weight or gained it back, taking GLP-1 drugs (like Ozempic or Wegovy) can help them lose about 7.8 kilograms (around 17 pounds) on average, with better results the longer they stay on the medication.

If someone has had weight-loss surgery but isn’t losing enough weight or gains it back, doctors might prescribe drugs like liraglutide, semaglutide, or tirzepatide. About 27% don’t respond well to liraglutide, 19% to semaglutide, and only 3% to tirzepatide—meaning they don’t lose at least 5% of their body weight.

If someone has weight-loss surgery but doesn’t lose enough weight or gains it back, taking GLP-1 drugs might help lower their blood sugar, blood pressure, and improve their cholesterol levels.

If someone has had weight-loss surgery but isn’t losing enough weight—or gains it back—taking semaglutide seems to help them lose more weight than if they took liraglutide, and they’re over twice as likely to lose 10% or more of their body weight.

GLP-1 drugs are changing the game for treating obesity because they help people lose more weight and improve heart and metabolic health better than older treatments.

A new weight-loss drug called retatrutide might help people with obesity lose about a quarter of their body weight in less than a year—and it could work even better and faster than weight-loss surgery or other medicines we have now.