There are many different types of telehealth services and virtual weight management programs to help people with excess weight or obesity.
Online, you can get access to:
Prescription weight loss medications
Personalized nutrition and exercise plans
Behavioral support to build healthy lifestyle and eating habits
Ongoing support from a medical care team
Each telehealth company will have a slightly different process, but for the most part, getting weight loss support online will look like this.
1. Complete an Initial Assessment or Consultation
If you’re looking into weight loss drugs to support your weight loss efforts, you’ll need a prescription. To get one online, a healthcare provider will look at your health history and decide if you’re eligible for weight loss medications — and, if so, which ones are best for you.
During your virtual assessment, you might answer questions about your:
Your initial assessment could involve a call with an online healthcare provider, or you might be asked to submit a detailed form.
To get the best online weight loss prescription for you, answer all questions honestly and accurately. Remember, providers are there to help you on your journey — no judgment here.
Some telemedicine services may require an in-person visit for lab testing, but others are 100 percent online.
With Hims, you fill out a weight loss assessment, and a licensed healthcare provider reviews your answers to see if you qualify for treatment. In most states, you don’t even need to schedule a call with a provider — you’ll connect with a provider through a secure in-app messaging service.
2. Get a Prescription
If your provider determines that weight loss medications are right for you, they’ll write you a prescription. How you get your medication will depend on which telemedicine service you use.
When you’re prescribed weight loss medication through the Hims platform, it’s delivered directly to your door.
Though some platforms offer all-in-one services, others require you to fill your prescription at another online pharmacy or pick it up at a local pharmacy.
When you first start a new weight loss medication, it’s important that you understand how and when to take it.
Pro tip: Look for online weight loss programs like Hims that provide detailed instructions with every medication shipment and ongoing access to a support app.
The Hims app walks you through the process, step by step. You’ll find videos and other resources explaining how to inject your medication, how to follow a dose escalation schedule, and what side effects to expect. Plus, you can message a provider in the app at any time if you have questions or concerns at no additional cost.
3. Get Support With Lifestyle Changes
Getting a telemedicine weight loss prescription is just one piece of the puzzle. For sustainable and healthy weight loss, you’ll also want to make healthy lifestyle changes, such as:
Many telehealth services offer support with these changes, too. This might be through educational content, habit trackers, or personalized nutrition and exercise plans.
For instance, Hims offers trackers — like protein intake, sleep, and step trackers — as well as healthy recipes and guidance based on your personalized eating profile.
Hims also helps make healthy eating easier and more convenient with access to protein-packed meal replacement bars and shakes designed by physicians and approved by dieticians.
4. Get Ongoing Weight Loss Support
Everyone’s weight loss journey looks a little different. And it’s a long game, so ongoing support is key.
The best telehealth services offer ongoing access to healthcare professionals with regular follow-ups. That way, you can ask questions, discuss any medication side effects that crop up, and get tweaks to your treatment plan.
For example, some people experience nausea each time their GLP-1 dose is increased. (GLP-1 doses are typically increased every four weeks during the first few months of treatment.) If this is happening to you, your provider might change your dose escalation plan.
They might also offer you a prescription anti-nausea medication, like ondansetron (Zofran®). Hims offers access to prescription anti-nausea medication at no additional cost (to those who qualify, depending on the medication prescribed).
Depending on which telehealth weight loss service you use, your ongoing consultations might take place over the phone, via video call, or through online messaging.
You can get a number of weight loss drugs online, including weight loss injections like:
Semaglutide. Semaglutide is a weekly glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist injection sold under the brand names Ozempic® and Wegovy®.
Tirzepatide. This is a weekly injection sold under the brand names Mounjaro® and Zepbound®.
Liraglutide. Liraglutide is a daily injection sold under the brand names Victoza® and Saxenda®.
You can also get weight loss pills online. Oral medications that may help promote weight loss include:
Explore oral weight loss kits available through Hims , and see if treatment is right for you.
Weight Loss by Hims
Hims offers access to a variety of weight loss medication options designed to support different goals and fit different budgets.
GLP-1s injections available through Hims include:
Wegovy® (semaglutide). This is a once-weekly injection FDA-approved for weight loss in people with obesity or those who are overweight with a related health condition, like high blood pressure (hypertension) or sleep apnea. Wegovy® clinical trials show that people can lose up to 20 percent of their body weight over 68 weeks of treatment.
Ozempic® (semaglutide). Also a weekly injection, Ozempic® is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes. It can be prescribed off-label for weight management.
Zepbound® (tirzepatide). This functions similarly to GLP-1 drugs but also targets another receptor, gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP). It’s administered at home as a once-weekly injection and is approved for weight management.
Mounjaro® (tirzepatide). This once-weekly injection is FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes but can be prescribed off-label for weight loss.
Generic liraglutide. Liraglutide is the active ingredient in Saxenda®, which is FDA-approved to treat obesity.
Hims also offers access to oral weight loss kits tailored to your weight loss goals, needs, and budget. Hers oral weight loss kits may contain some combination of the following medications:
Bupropion is an antidepressant that can influence the brain’s reward system and appetite.
Metformin stabilizes blood sugar (glucose) and is FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes. It’s also sometimes used off-label for weight loss.
Topiramate is an anticonvulsant that can also help you feel fuller longer.
Naltrexone is typically used to reduce cravings for alcohol and opioids, but it can help with weight loss when combined with other prescription drugs.
Providers might start you on a lower dose to minimize side effects, and you can switch medications or adjust your plan if needed.
For those concerned about side effects like nausea, your Hims care team may also prescribe anti-nausea medication at no extra cost for those eligible. This includes ondansetron (the active ingredient in Zofran®).
Weight loss telehealth services are growing in popularity — and for good reason. There are several benefits to accessing weight loss medications and medical support online.
You can get personalized expert advice, receive a prescription (if eligible), and order weight loss meds online. There’s no need to:
Find time in your schedule
Organize childcare or time off work
Travel to a doctor’s office
Pay for transport
Hang around in a waiting room
Meet with a provider in person
Have insurance coverage for medical weight loss
Talk about benefits.
Plus, asking a doctor about weight loss drugs online may feel less intimidating than speaking to someone face-to-face. There’s absolutely no shame in asking about your weight loss options, but if doing so online helps you feel more comfortable, we’re all for it.
You can get ongoing support online, too, saving you lots of time in the long run. You may be more likely to check in with providers virtually, as it’s quick and easy to do so. Ongoing provider support may even help you maintain your weight loss over the long term.
You can probably guess the main difference between getting weight loss medication and care online versus in person — not having to interact with a healthcare provider in a traditional brick-and-mortar setting.
When you reach out to a medical provider in person, you have to schedule an in-person appointment, travel to the doctor’s office, and hang out in the waiting room until they call your name.
The overall process is similar to a virtual appointment. In person, a healthcare provider will ask you questions about your health information, lifestyle, and medical history.
They may also do some tests that can’t be done online, such as:
Weighing you
Measuring your height to work out your BMI
Measuring your waist circumference
Checking your blood pressure
Ordering lab tests
If you’re eligible, your provider will write you a prescription for a GLP-1 medication or an oral weight loss medication. You’ll need to visit a pharmacy to get your prescription filled or have your medication delivered.
So, there you have it. Now you know the ins and outs of using telehealth services for medical weight loss. Here’s a recap of what we covered:
Using telehealth for weight loss can be a convenient, cost-effective way to access weight loss drugs and reach a healthy body weight.
Of course, it’s not the only way to get weight loss support. You can talk to your primary care physician or another medical professional in person if that’s what you prefer.
But know that connecting with a weight loss clinician online is a great option for folks who want to save time, avoid leaving home, and get ongoing access to weight loss support services.
If you’re ready to get started, take our free online weight loss assessment to find out whether you may be eligible for weight loss medication.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2023). Steps for losing weight. https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/losing-weight/index.html
- Fariba KA, et al. (2024). Topiramate. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554530/
- GLUCOPHAGE®. (2017). Metformin hydrochloride tablets. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/020357s037s039,021202s021s023lbl.pdf
- Gorgojo-Martínez JU, et al. (2022). Clinical recommendations to manage gastrointestinal adverse events in patients treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists: a multidisciplinary expert consensus. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9821052/
- Huecker MA, et al. (2023). Bupropion. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK470212/
- MOUNJARO® (tirzepatide) Injection, for subcutaneous use. (2022). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2022/215866s000lbl.pdf
- OZEMPIC®. Semaglutide injection for subcutaneous use. (2017). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/209637lbl.pdf
- Perri MG, et al. (2020). Effect of telehealth extended care for maintenance of weight loss in rural US communities. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/article-abstract/2767136
- SAXENDA® (liraglutide [rDNA origin] injection), solution for subcutaneous use. (2014). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2014/206321Orig1s000lbl.pdf
- Singh DH, et al. (2023). Naltrexone. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK534811/
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (2022). How to buy medicines safely from an online pharmacy. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/how-buy-medicines-safely-online-pharmacy
- WEGOVY® (semaglutide) injection, for subcutaneous use. (2023). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/215256s007lbl.pdf
- Wilding JPH, et al. (2021). Once-weekly semaglutide in adults with overweight or obesity. https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183
- ZEPBOUND® (tirzepatide) Injection, for subcutaneous use. (2022). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2023/217806s000lbl.pdf
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