The Different Types of Weight Loss Treatments Explained

August 07, 2026

The Different Types of Weight Loss Treatments Explained

Weight loss is really hard. As a bariatric dietitian I see patients that have tried every diet they can to drop the pounds. They may have success at the start but the weight will slowly creep back on. Now we have other ways to help people lose weight and this blog post will summarise them.

I want to say that there is no shame in needing help to lose weight, obesity is a chronic disease and it needs a long term solution. People don’t get shamed for other chronic conditions like high blood pressure or high cholesterol so it’s time weight loss was seen as the same.

We’re going to cover:

Oral medications
Injectable medications
Weight loss surgery
Non-invasive surgical options

Weight loss tablets:

There are a few different tablets that can be taken for weight loss.

Orlistat:

Orlistat is a fat blocker. It works by making you not absorb 30% of the fat you eat. This leads to weight loss as fat is the most calorie dense nutrient.

You take one tablet up to 3 times a day. It’s available to buy from pharmacies or in a stronger dose on prescription.

People can lose around 9% of their body weight after a year of orlistat. But it’s not without its side effects. A lot of people report diarrhoea, oily stools, and stomach cramps.

Wegovy (GLP-1):

Newly released, GLP-1s are available in tablet form. Wegovy is the name for Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist. This medication works by making you feel fuller for longer, reducing your appetite, and stopping you thinking about food.

This is available privately for now.

People lose around 15% of their weight while on this medication. Side effects can include nausea, constipation, and indigestion. I’ve got a whole blog post on oral wegovy here.

Mysimba:

Mysimba is a weight loss medication containing the active ingredients naltrexone and bupropion.

They work on the brain and can help with reducing cravings and appetite, reduce over eating, and reduce the pleasure derived from food. This medication is only available on a private prescription.

Most people lose at least 5% of their weight with this medication.

Mysimba can have side effects like nausea, tremours, and headaches.

Injectable weight loss options:

These are affectionately known as ‘skinny jabs’ but these are serious medications with strong effects on the body.

These GLP-1 receptor agonists work by mimicking the natural GLP-1 hormone we have in our body. GLP-1 helps with reducing appetite, slowing down stomach emptying which makes you feel fuller for longer, and stopping you thinking about food as much.

Weekly injectables:

Wegovy (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) are once a week injections available on the NHS and privately.

You can have up to 15% body weight loss on these medications.

Of course, they are not without side effects, commonly encountered when increasing the dose. Nausea, vomiting, and constipation are experienced by a lot of people.

Daily injections:

Saxenda (Liraglutide) is a GLP-1 medication that is injected daily. It is available on prescription and privately.

The weight loss with this is slighter lower, averaging about 8% of body weight loss. It also comes with all the side effects of the weekly injections too.

Surgery:

Bariatric surgery is a permanent change to your body to help with weight loss. It’s available on the NHS and privately.

Sleeve:

The sleeve gastrectomy is an operation where 70% of your stomach is removed from your body. This means you can’t physically eat as much and you feel less hungry as part of the stomach that releases the hunger hormone is removed.

Gastric bypass:

The bypass helps to lose weight by creating a small stomach pouch and connecting it to a part of the small bowel, skipping the first section of the bowel. This means you can’t physically eat as much and you won’t absorb all the nutrients in your food due to bypassing some of the small bowel where food absorption takes place.

Surgery in general has greater risks such as blood clots, infection, and blood loss. There are also more specific risks like strictures (narrowing of stomach/bowel), leaks, and perforations.

operating theatre with staff performing surgery

You could lose up to 30% total body weight with surgery.

I’ve got an in depth blog post on weight loss surgery here.

Non-surgical procedures:

If surgery is too big a step, there are other non-invasive methods too. These don't affect the hunger hormones the way surgery does.

Endosleeve:

The endosleeve is a procedure where the inside of your stomach is sewn together, making it smaller and keeping you fuller for longer. There’s no wounds on the outside as it is done with the use of an endoscope.

The endo sleeve has around 15% total body weight loss. But it can come with side effects like nausea, constipation, and stomach pain.

Gastric balloon:

A gastric balloon is a shorter term option for weight loss. A balloon is placed inside your stomach and then filled with fluid which keeps it in place. The balloon staying in your stomach makes you feel full and means food takes longer to leave the stomach so you eat less.

You can have between 13-25% weight loss. There are risks too like perforations, bowel obstruction and stomach ulcers forming.

Gastric band:

Gastric bands are a popular weight loss option if surgery feels too much. It involves placing a silicone band around the top of your stomach to create a small pouch. This restricts your food intake and makes you feel fuller quicker, as your stomach capacity has been reduced.

A gastric band can lead to an average of 14% total body weight loss. There are some potential complications like band erosions, ulcers, and band slippages to consider.

I’ve got a full blog post on these three, plus an up and coming non-invasive weight loss procedure here.

The power duo:

But of course, we can’t forget the dream team of diet and exercise. All of these weight loss methods won’t work if you don't change your diet and exercise habits.

The only way to maintain weight loss is to make healthier food choices most of the time and to do regular physical activity. There is no quick fix or easy way out.

If you want help on how to optimise your diet and exercise, my book How To Lose Weight For Good goes through everything you need to kickstart your weight loss journey and change your lifestyle.