Medical conditions can limit which weight loss pills work safely for you. For example, you should avoid phentermine if you have severe anxiety or hyperthyroidism. Nadler emphasizes the importance of taking anti-obesity medication only under the supervision of a health care professional.

Drugmaker Eli Lilly said that in Phase 3 studies of over 550 adults, their oral GLP-1 pill, orforglipron, could reduce hemoglobin A1C levels on average by 1.3-1.6% and also help people lose up to 16 pounds, or about 7.9% of their body weight.

In an hour-long meeting at Eli Lilly and Company’s headquarters in Indianapolis on April 15, the pharmaceutical company’s top executives met, like they had dozens of times before, to hear the long-awaited results of a study involving a new drug.