Who Qualifies for Weight Loss Treatment, and Who Should Not
In Australia, weight loss medication is generally considered for adults living with obesity (a BMI of 30 or more), or with a BMI of 27 or more and a weight-related health problem (Obesity Evidence Hub). It is used alongside a healthier diet and more physical activity, and it can be harmful for some people: pregnancy, breastfeeding, an eating disorder, and some health conditions or medicines can rule it out or limit the options. A registered doctor or nurse practitioner makes the decision.
This is general information, not medical advice and not a self-assessment tool. Whether treatment is clinically appropriate for you depends on an individual assessment, and outcomes vary between individuals.
On this page
- The Usual Starting Points: BMI 30, or 27 With a Health Condition
- Lower Cut-Offs for Some Backgrounds
- Why BMI Is Only the Start
- What a Practitioner Checks
- Who Should Not Use Weight Loss Medication
- If the Answer Is Not Now
- Diet and Physical Activity Stay Central
- What the Burst Health Questionnaire Asks
- Frequently Asked Questions
The Usual Starting Points: BMI 30, or 27 With a Health Condition
Weight loss medication is used in combination with changes to eating habits and physical activity, not in place of them. Treatment guidelines recommend considering it when those changes alone have not led to enough weight loss to improve health or quality of life (Obesity Evidence Hub).
Weight-related conditions include type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol and other blood fats, fatty liver disease, reproductive hormone problems, sleep apnoea, osteoarthritis and depression (Australian Obesity Management Algorithm). If one of these applies to you, our guides to weight loss treatment with type 2 diabetes and weight loss treatment with PCOS go into more detail.
| BMI (adults) | Where it usually sits |
|---|---|
| 18.5 to 24.9 | Healthy weight range |
| 25 to 26.9 | Overweight, below the usual starting point |
| 27 to 29.9 | Considered with a weight-related condition |
| 30 or more | Considered, with diet and activity changes |
The weight ranges come from healthdirect, and the treatment lines follow the starting points at the top of this page. These figures are general starting points for adults, not a test you pass or fail, and lower cut-offs apply to some backgrounds (see Lower Cut-Offs for Some Backgrounds below).
A worked example
BMI is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in metres, squared. For a person who is 1.70 m tall, the height squared is 1.70 x 1.70 = 2.89.
At 88 kg, the BMI is 88 ÷ 2.89 = 30.4, which is in the 30 or more range.
At 80 kg, the BMI is 80 ÷ 2.89 = 27.7, which sits in the 27 to 29.9 range, where a weight-related condition matters. With type 2 diabetes, this person would be at the usual starting point. Without a weight-related condition, this person would be below it.
This is arithmetic only. The same BMI can lead to different decisions for two people, because the rest of the assessment differs.
Lower Cut-Offs for Some Backgrounds
BMI does not track body fat the same way in every population. South Asian, South East Asian, East Asian, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations tend to carry more body fat at a given BMI, so the Australian Obesity Management Algorithm uses lower equivalent categories for these groups: BMI 27.5 to 37.5 in place of 30 to 40, and over 37.5 in place of over 40.
The waist cut-offs for abdominal obesity are lower for these groups too: more than 90 cm for males and more than 80 cm for females, in place of more than 102 cm and more than 88 cm, according to the algorithm.
Why BMI Is Only the Start
BMI cannot tell how much of your weight is muscle and how much is fat. It is less accurate in high-performance athletes, people who are pregnant, people with a physical disability, people under 18, and some ethnic groups (healthdirect).
That is why waist size matters too. Health risk is a different measure from the abdominal obesity cut-offs above: a waist of 94 cm or more for males, or 80 cm or more for females who are not pregnant, carries a higher risk of problems such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Some people in the healthy or overweight BMI range still carry extra fat around the abdomen, and the Australian Obesity Management Algorithm bases treatment pathways on BMI, waist size, and whether weight-related conditions are present and how severe they are. For why fat around the organs matters, see what visceral fat is and why waist size matters.
What a Practitioner Checks
A practitioner looks at the whole picture before any decision. The assessment covers your BMI and waist size and any weight-related complications, which can be medical, psychological or a physical limitation. It can include questions about eating patterns and a screening questionnaire for anxiety and depression, according to the same algorithm. The practitioner also talks with you about your medical history and how it may affect treatment. When choosing an option, a practitioner considers possible reasons it would not suit you, how it is taken, its side effects and its cost (Proietto, 2022).
This is a practitioner's checklist, not a self-test.
A practitioner may also ask for recent blood pressure, blood glucose or cholesterol results, because these help show your risk of conditions linked to obesity.
Who Should Not Use Weight Loss Medication
Some people should not use weight loss medication at all, and others should not use particular options. The decision depends on the medication being considered and on your health.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding or trying to conceive
Some medication used for weight loss can be harmful while you are trying to become pregnant or are breastfeeding. Pregnancy and breastfeeding appear among the listed contraindications, meaning reasons not to use a treatment, for most of the medications approved for obesity in Australia (Obesity Evidence Hub). If you are planning a pregnancy, tell the practitioner before you start, and speak with your doctor or nurse practitioner if you are already using treatment.
Children and teenagers
Standard BMI does not apply to children and teenagers, who are assessed with BMI charts made for ages 2 to 18. The starting points on this page are for adults, so for anyone under 18, talk with your GP.
An eating disorder
The assessment can include questions about binge eating, purging or night eating, and a practitioner may refer you to a dietitian or clinical psychologist with expertise in this area if the answers suggest disordered eating. Some weight loss medication can change how you feel about food, and for some people this may lead to an eating disorder. Depending on the medication, anorexia nervosa or bulimia is also a listed reason not to use it.
Some health conditions
Depending on the medication, some heart, eye, seizure or thyroid conditions, and uncontrolled high blood pressure, are listed reasons not to use it. No single list covers every option, which is why the practitioner asks about your full medical history. If you have a thyroid condition, read about weight loss treatment and thyroid conditions.
Some other medicines
Some options do not mix with certain other medicines, including some used for mood or pain. Tell the practitioner about every medicine you take, including over-the-counter and herbal products.
People who need extra care
Adults over 65. The risk of death linked to weight loss, even planned weight loss, rises with age. The main goal shifts to physical function and limiting the impact of complications, and people without complications aim for more moderate weight loss.
People with low mood. Some weight loss medication can affect mood and may increase the risk of depression. Raise any history of depression at the assessment.
People with a procedure coming up. Some weight loss medication can change what you need to do before a medical procedure, so tell the doctor about every medicine you take before surgery or a procedure.
If the Answer Is Not Now
A practitioner may decide that weight loss medication is not the right step for you at this point. Other support is still available. The practitioner may:
suggest a supervised diet and activity plan first
ask for other tests before deciding
refer you to a dietitian, an exercise physiologist or a counsellor
refer you to a mental health professional, if your weight is affecting your wellbeing
You can ask the practitioner to explain the decision.
Diet and Physical Activity Stay Central
Weight loss medication is used while you reduce your kilojoule intake and increase your physical activity, not in place of those changes. For adults with a BMI of 30 to 40 and no weight-related complications, supervised lifestyle change is the main treatment, and medication can be added if weight loss is not enough or weight returns.
The everyday basics are the same with or without treatment:
a healthy diet built on the five food groups, and plenty of water (Eat for Health)
moderate to vigorous physical activity for 30 minutes or more on most days, and muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week (Department of Health, Disability and Ageing)
For practical steps, read a realistic guide to losing weight. For what results can look like, see how much weight you can realistically expect to lose, and for the wider plan, read how medical weight loss programs work.
What the Burst Health Questionnaire Asks
Burst Health offers phone consultations with Australian doctors or nurse practitioners. Its online weight loss questionnaire asks about the following, so it helps to have these details ready:
your regular medicines, any allergies and any medical issues
conditions such as anxiety, thyroid conditions, high blood pressure, and pregnancy and breastfeeding
what you have tried before for weight loss, including any medical treatment
your height, weight, sex at birth and waist measurement
If you have recent blood pressure, blood glucose or cholesterol results, keep them on hand as well.
For some answers, the questionnaire suggests booking a consultation with your local GP instead. If the questionnaire continues, an Australian-registered doctor or nurse practitioner reviews your case and calls you to discuss your situation and explain potential side effects. The practitioner speaks with you before any decision, and treatment goes ahead only if the practitioner decides it is clinically appropriate for you. Outcomes vary between individuals.
That questionnaire is the first step: Burst Health provides medical weight loss plans online after review by an Australian-registered doctor or nurse practitioner, so you can check whether you are eligible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the requirements to qualify for weight loss medication?
There is no automatic qualification. As a general starting point, adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more with a weight-related health condition, may be considered, usually alongside or after diet and activity changes. A registered practitioner then looks at your waist, health conditions, medicines, mental health and medical history, and decides whether treatment is clinically appropriate for you.
Who should not take weight loss medication?
Pregnancy and breastfeeding are listed reasons not to use most options, and some can be harmful while you are trying to conceive. An eating disorder needs careful assessment first. Some heart, eye, seizure or thyroid conditions, and some medicines used for mood or pain, rule out particular options. A practitioner checks all of this before any decision.
Can I be considered if I do not have other health conditions?
Yes. With a BMI of 30 or more, you can be considered without another condition, usually when diet and activity changes alone have not been enough. Below 30, the general starting point is a BMI of 27 or more together with at least one weight-related condition, such as type 2 diabetes or sleep apnoea. Your waist measurement and ethnic background can also change how a practitioner reads your BMI.
What if my BMI is just under the starting point?
The BMI starting points are general guides for adults, and a practitioner looks at more than one number. Lower equivalent BMI categories apply to some Asian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations, and waist size and health conditions add information. If medication is not appropriate, a practitioner can still suggest a diet and activity plan, tests or referrals.
Does the PBS use the same criteria?
The PBS has its own rules. Many medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) are subsidised only for people with specific medical conditions. Weight loss medication is currently not covered by Medicare (healthdirect). Speak with your doctor, nurse practitioner or pharmacist about the costs. These rules are separate from whether treatment suits you.
Medical weight loss plans, online
In three steps.
- 1Answer a quick questionnaireOnline, no appointment, no in-person visit.
- 2A practitioner reviews itAn Australian-registered doctor or nurse practitioner decides whether treatment is suitable for you.
- 3Start your planIf treatment is suitable, you start your plan with the practitioner supporting you throughout.
References
Proietto J. Medicines for long-term obesity management. 2022.
Markovic TP et al. The Australian Obesity Management Algorithm (July 2024).
Obesity Evidence Hub. Medication and surgery for adults (updated July 2025).
healthdirect. Body mass index (BMI) and waist circumference.
Eat for Health (NHMRC). Australian dietary guidelines 1 - 5.
This article is general information only and does not replace individual medical advice. Please speak with a registered Australian healthcare practitioner about your own circumstances.