Am I eligible for weight-loss injections? BMI and criteria explained
Eligibility mostly comes down to your BMI and whether you have a weight-related health condition — but the exact threshold depends on your circumstances, and a prescriber always makes the final call.
The BMI basics
Weight-loss injections are licensed for obesity. Privately, that usually means a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 or more if you also have a weight-related health condition. Below these thresholds — and particularly at a healthy weight — these medicines are not appropriate. You can work out your BMI from your height and weight; our matcher does it for you.
What counts as a weight-related condition
The 27+ threshold applies if you have a condition made worse by weight, such as type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnoea, or cardiovascular disease. Having one of these lowers the BMI at which you can be considered. Your prescriber will assess this properly as part of the consultation.
Adjusted thresholds for some backgrounds
Because health risks can start at a lower BMI for people from South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, UK guidance recommends lowering the BMI threshold by about 2.5. In practice that can mean being considered from a BMI of around 27.5, or 24.5 with a weight-related condition. Not every provider applies this, so it's worth checking.
Who these medicines aren't for
They aren't suitable for people at a healthy weight, and there are medical situations — such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, or certain health conditions — where they shouldn't be used. This is why every prescription follows a clinical assessment: the prescriber, not a website, decides whether a medicine is safe and right for you. If you're worried about your weight or your relationship with food, your GP or an eating-disorder charity such as Beat can help.
Could the NHS prescribe instead? (updated August 2026)
Before paying privately, it's worth checking whether an NHS route is open to you — the rules widened in June 2026. Your own GP can now prescribe tirzepatide (Mounjaro) on the NHS if you have a BMI of 35 or more and at least 4 of these 5 conditions: type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obstructive sleep apnoea, or abnormal blood fats (dyslipidaemia). BMI thresholds are 2.5 lower if you're from a South Asian, Chinese, other Asian, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean background. Two honest caveats: not every GP practice has opted in, so meeting the criteria doesn't guarantee a prescription — and every NHS prescription comes with a required lifestyle-support programme alongside the medication. From April 2027 the criteria widen again (BMI 40 or more with 3 conditions). If you have a BMI of 35+ with one weight-related condition (but fewer than four), you may qualify for referral to an NHS specialist weight-management service — the only NHS route to Wegovy. Waiting lists are long and some services are closed to new referrals, but the referral costs nothing to ask for. If you have type 2 diabetes, there's a separate, longer-established NHS pathway for GLP-1 medication — ask your GP about that route regardless of the criteria above. You can use our 60-second NHS eligibility check, which runs entirely on your device — we never see or store your answers. Criteria correct as at 29 August 2026, from NHS England's commissioning guidance for NICE TA1026.
Not sure if the NHS could prescribe for you?
Our 60-second check works it out on your device — nothing is stored or sent.
Check my NHS optionsFrequently asked
- My BMI is just under 30 — can I still be prescribed?
- Possibly, if you have a weight-related health condition (which lowers the threshold to 27), or if an adjusted threshold applies to your background. If your BMI is in the healthy range, weight-loss medication isn't appropriate. A prescriber makes the final decision after assessing you.
- Does my ethnicity really change the BMI threshold?
- UK guidance recommends a lower BMI threshold (by about 2.5) for several ethnic backgrounds because health risks can begin at a lower weight. Providers who apply this may consider you from a lower BMI. It's genuinely part of the guidance, not a marketing gimmick.
- Is the matcher's result a diagnosis or a decision?
- No. Our matcher gives an indication of whether you'd usually meet the criteria, to help you find suitable providers. It isn't a clinical decision — the prescriber you choose assesses you properly and decides.
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