The Study
Efficacy and Safety of Anti-Obesity Medications for Weight Loss Maintenance in Adults With Overweight or Obesity: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomised Controlled Trials.
This study looked at lots of well-done experiments where people were randomly given either a weight-loss medicine or a sugar pill. It found that the medicine helped people keep off extra weight after they lost it. So we can say the medicine probably caused the weight loss to stay off — not just that they happened together.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
After losing weight, some people take special pills to stop gaining it back — this study looked at whether those pills really work.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 553 / 100
Quality score
The highest quality evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool randomized controlled trials, giving the most reliable summary of experimental evidence.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Losing nearly 9 kg more and shrinking your waist by over 7 cm can mean lower risk of heart disease and diabetes — a big benefit for long-term health.
- 2People who took the pills lost 8.68 kg more, their waist got 7.16 cm smaller, and their blood pressure and cholesterol improved compared to those who took sugar pills.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Diabetes, obesity & metabolism
Year
2026
Authors
Zhinan Chen, Ruitang Cheng, Huiying Wang, Fang Hu
Related Content
Claims (6)
Losing one kilogram of body weight lowers systolic blood pressure by about 1 mm Hg.
In adults with overweight or obesity, anti-obesity medications lead to a reduction of 7.16 centimeters in waist size and 3.58 kg/m² in body mass index during the weight-maintenance phase compared to placebo.
In adults with overweight or obesity, anti-obesity medications do not cause more neuropsychiatric side effects than placebo during weight maintenance, and people report better quality of life while taking these medications.
Adults with overweight or obesity who have lost weight and then take anti-obesity medications lose an additional 8.68 kg on average during the maintenance phase compared to those taking a placebo, and their metabolic health improves.
In adults with overweight or obesity, anti-obesity medications lead to lower levels of triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure during weight maintenance compared to placebo.
In adults with overweight or obesity who are maintaining their weight, anti-obesity medications cause more gastrointestinal side effects than placebo, but they do not cause more serious side effects.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.