Do I Need to Be a Diabetic to Get on Semaglutide?

Today, most people think of semaglutide as a weight-loss medication, but it was actually developed for another purpose: to help manage Type 2 diabetes. As a result, many people are left wondering if they need to be diagnosed with diabetes before being prescribed semaglutide for losing weight.

The simple answer is no — but there is a caveat. As a leading provider of custom, effective weight-management solutions, STL Medical Weight Loss prescribes semaglutide for people who don’t have diabetes but still meet other requirements. In this post, Joseph Moleski, DO, and Margaurette Walsh, PA-C, offer a brief overview of semaglutide and explain the other requirements.

The science of semaglutide

Mimetic is an agent that “mimics” or imitates the effects of another agent. In semaglutide’s case, the drug helps mimic the effects of an agent that regulates insulin release in your pancreas.

Insulin is a hormone that, in turn, regulates blood sugar. When insulin levels aren’t balanced, your risk of Type 2 diabetes rises, along with the risk of other metabolic problems that can lead to problems managing your weight.

By helping your body release just the right amount of insulin, semaglutide optimizes your metabolism, helping your body burn off calories more efficiently. But that’s just one weight-related benefit of semaglutide.

Semaglutide also slows down digestion, helping you feel full longer. It also works in the brain to help you feel satisfied when eating, so you consume fewer calories and don’t fall prey to “binge” eating or excess snacking. Together, these effects make semaglutide so effective in managing weight, even for people who’ve failed multiple times at dieting on their own.

Prescribing requirements: Beyond diabetes

While initially approved for diabetes treatment, the FDA recently approved semaglutide for weight management. If you don’t have diabetes, you need to meet other criteria to be considered for therapy:

Body mass index (BMI)

Your BMI is a ratio of height to weight, and it’s widely used to predict weight-related health risks and to define obesity. Currently, semaglutide is approved for people with a BMI of 30 or more, the BMI used to define obesity.

Other health conditions

In some cases, semaglutide can be prescribed to people with lower BMIs — specifically a BMI over 27 — if they also have a concurrent weight-related medical condition, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or heart disease. 

If we determine you’re a good candidate for semaglutide, we’ll develop a treatment plan targeting your healthy weight goals. Semaglutide is administered via injections, beginning with a low dose and gradually increasing the dosage until we reach your target dose. Best of all, we teach you to administer injections on your own, making treatment extremely convenient. 

Find out if semaglutide is right for you

Semaglutide can help you achieve a healthy weight, but it’s up to you to maintain it. During treatment, we can help you develop lifestyle habits focused on helping you manage your weight successfully once your therapy ends.

To learn more about semaglutide and whether it’s a good choice for you, call or book an appointment online with STL Medical Weight Loss at our locations in Chesterfield, Missouri, or Dallas, Texas, today. Can’t make it to the office? We also offer telehealth services for patients in Missouri, Texas, Illinois, Kansas, Florida, Delaware, Arizona, New York, Tennessee, Ohio, Michigan, Nevada, and Washington State.