Two numbers form the clinical gate: 30 and 27. At 30 or above, weight alone qualifies you. Between 27 and 30, a documented weight-related condition must be present alongside the number.
BMI is calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. At 30 and above, this number alone meets the threshold for GLP-1 medication for weight management, regardless of other factors.
Between 27 and 30, the threshold applies only when a weight-related condition is documented in your medical record. Documentation matters because it is the difference between a suspicion and a diagnosis, and insurers require proof.
Below 27, GLP-1 for weight management is not indicated, and a responsible clinician will decline to prescribe. Learn more about qualifying health conditions, explore do I qualify, and schedule your free assessment to have both your number and history reviewed.
Two thresholds
Working it out
Getting your BMI right
Measure properly
Height without shoes, weight first thing. Small errors in height affect the result more than people expect, because it is squared.
Do the calculation
Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Any calculator will do it, and the number is the same everywhere.
Check for a condition
If you land between 27 and 30, whether you have a documented weight-related condition is the deciding factor.
Have it confirmed
A clinician checks the figure against your records, because self-reported height and weight drift.
Its limitations
Why BMI alone is incomplete
BMI cannot distinguish between muscle and fat, so it overestimates risk in people with significant lean mass and underestimates it in those with little. It also reveals nothing about fat distribution, which matters more for metabolic health than the total amount.
This is why BMI serves as an entry gate, not the final decision. Waist circumference, existing diagnoses, medication history, and your clinical picture all carry more weight than the number itself in determining suitability. Read about qualifying health conditions, review the medical weight loss program, and check the weight loss timeline for more context.
Muscle versus fatIgnores
Where fat is storedIgnores
A screening gateUsed as
Eligibility
Beyond the BMI requirement
The conditions, the exclusions and the free check.
The thresholds, accuracy, and what happens near the line.
Generally 30 or above on weight alone, or 27 and above where a weight-related condition is documented. Below 27 it is not indicated for weight management.
Worth a conversation, because conditions like sleep apnea and prediabetes are frequently present and undiagnosed. Testing may change the picture; guessing does not.
Not particularly. It cannot tell muscle from fat, so it overstates risk in people carrying significant lean mass. That is one reason a clinician looks at more than the number.
Treatment decisions are reviewed over time, and falling below the starting threshold is the point rather than a problem. What continues is a clinical conversation, and insurers sometimes have their own rules about it.
Often, but not always, and they usually add requirements on top such as prior authorisation or documented previous attempts. Meeting the clinical threshold does not guarantee funding.
