What BMI do you need for Wegovy?

What is the exact BMI you need for Wegovy in the UK?

The Wegovy licence sets two routes in. The first is a BMI of 30 or above, which is the clinical definition of obesity. The second is a BMI between 27 and 29.9, the overweight range, provided you also have a weight-related condition. That second route matters, because a BMI of 29 and what it means for Wegovy eligibility is a question we cover separately, since a figure in the high twenties on its own is not enough under the licence.

Weight-related conditions that count include type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, high blood pressure, raised cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnoea and osteoarthritis. If you're weighing up a figure just under 30, our page on whether a BMI of 28 qualifies for Wegovy walks through what that comorbidity requirement really means in practice.

These thresholds come straight from how the medicine is authorised, and they're the same whether you're asking about the injection or, more recently, the tablet form of semaglutide. You can read the patient-level detail on the NHS semaglutide medicines page, which sets out who the medicine is intended for. One caveat worth repeating: hitting the number is necessary, not sufficient. A prescriber still checks your history before anything is dispensed.

How do you actually work out your BMI for Wegovy?

BMI is a simple sum. Take your weight in kilograms and divide it by your height in metres multiplied by itself. Someone who is 1.7 metres tall and weighs 90kg has a BMI of roughly 31, so they'd sit in the obesity band. If maths before coffee isn't your thing, the NHS BMI calculator does it in seconds.

Knowing your own figure is the first thing most people want when they ask "what is my BMI for Wegovy". It tells you which route you'd be on, or how close you are to the threshold. If you're already confident you're above 30, our note on what a BMI of 30 means for Wegovy covers what happens next.

Two honest limits of BMI are worth knowing. It doesn't distinguish muscle from fat, so a very muscular person can read as overweight without carrying excess fat. And it doesn't account for where weight sits on the body. That's part of why a prescriber looks beyond the single number. For most adults, though, BMI is a reliable enough screen, which is why UK licensing and guidance both lean on it.

Why is the NHS BMI threshold for Wegovy different?

Here's where people get caught out. The private licensed threshold and the NHS threshold are not the same thing. On the NHS, Wegovy is recommended by NICE (in TA875) only within a specialist weight management service, for a maximum of two years, for adults with at least one weight-related condition and a BMI of 35 or above. Some people with a BMI of 30 to 34.9 who meet specialist referral criteria may also be considered.

So the NHS bar is meaningfully higher than the licensed 30, and access runs through specialist clinics with multidisciplinary support rather than a straightforward prescription. Waiting lists for those services are commonly long. You can see the recommendation itself in NICE's appraisal of semaglutide for weight management.

Ethnic-background adjustments apply here too: NHS England quotes thresholds around 2.5 kg/m² lower for people from Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean backgrounds, reflecting differing health risk at a given BMI. None of this is a criticism of the NHS; it's simply how a rationed service prioritises. It does explain why many people who'd meet the licensed threshold privately find they don't yet qualify on the NHS, and why the private and NHS routes answer different questions.

Does a BMI just under 30 rule you out of Wegovy?

Not necessarily. This is one of the questions our prescribers hear most weeks. If your BMI sits between 27 and 29.9, the licence still allows Wegovy provided you have a qualifying weight-related condition. Without one, a BMI in that band doesn't meet the criteria, and we'd say so plainly rather than stretch the rules.

What counts as a qualifying condition is genuinely clinical, not a box to tick. Prediabetes shown on a blood test, diagnosed high blood pressure, raised cholesterol or sleep apnoea all fall into this group. If you're near the line, our breakdown of what a BMI of 27 means for Wegovy eligibility is the most useful next read, and there's a companion piece on a BMI of 26 for those a little lower still.

People whose BMI is in the healthy range sometimes ask about treatment anyway. That's a firm no under the licence, and we explain why on our page about Wegovy and a normal BMI. The medicine is authorised for weight management in defined populations, and it isn't assessed for cosmetic or quick weight loss. A prescriber won't approve it outside its licence, and any service that would should make you cautious.

What else besides BMI decides if Wegovy is suitable?

BMI opens the door. It doesn't decide who walks through. Wegovy is a prescription-only medicine, and our prescribers assess the whole clinical picture before approving treatment, which is exactly what the law requires and what keeps the process safe.

That means looking at your medical history, current medicines and anything that would make Wegovy unsuitable. It isn't recommended in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, or if you're trying to conceive, and it isn't licensed for anyone under 18. A history of pancreatitis, or conditions such as medullary thyroid cancer, need discussion with a prescriber before treatment is considered. Our overview of who cannot take Wegovy sets these out in full.

Contraception is another practical point. UK guidance advises using contraception on GLP-1 medicines, and NHS guidance notes there's no equivalent evidence of reduced pill effectiveness for semaglutide as there is for tirzepatide. Even so, this is worth raising during your consultation. If you'd like the broader eligibility view rather than just the number, our summary of the full Wegovy criteria pulls it together. And when you're ready to check where you actually stand, our page on whether you qualify for Wegovy is the sensible starting point.

Is the BMI threshold the same for the Wegovy tablet as the injection?

As of summer 2026, yes, in broad terms. The MHRA approved Wegovy tablets, an oral form of semaglutide, in June 2026 as the first oral GLP-1 medicine licensed for weight management in the UK. It carries the same weight-based eligibility as the injection: a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 to 29.9 with a weight-related condition.

The difference is in how it's taken, not who it's for. The tablet is a once-daily option rather than a weekly injection, and it doesn't need refrigeration. Some people find that easier to fit around a routine, taken first thing before the kettle goes on. The underlying medicine, and therefore the BMI question, is the same semaglutide.

One distinction to keep straight: Rybelsus is also oral semaglutide, but it's licensed for type 2 diabetes, not weight loss, so its tablet strengths are not the Wegovy weight-loss ladder. If you're comparing the two forms on eligibility grounds, our page on the BMI needed for semaglutide treats them together, since the active ingredient is what the threshold hangs on. Whichever form you're considering, the same clinical assessment applies before anything is prescribed.

What happens once you meet the BMI threshold with nume?

Meeting the BMI threshold is the point at which a consultation becomes worthwhile. With nume, you complete a free online consultation, and a GPhC-registered Independent Prescriber reads your answers the same day, never an algorithm. If Wegovy is clinically suitable, we confirm which dose and format are appropriate at that point.

We verify identity with photo ID and confirm your weight on a short video step, in line with GPhC guidance. It's a genuine check, not a formality. Order by 12pm on a weekday, once approved, and treatment is dispatched the same day for free next-working-day DPD delivery in plain packaging. Handy to know if you'd rather your order land before a weekend or a holiday than sit over one.

There's no subscription and no auto-renewal; every repeat is clinically re-reviewed. You can verify our pharmacy yourself on the GPhC register, which is the check we'd want anyone to run on any online pharmacy before ordering. If you'd like to see the treatment itself, our Wegovy information page covers the essentials, and current pricing sits on the treatments page.

Related questions we've answered

• What BMI do I need for Wegovy?
• Wegovy BMI requirements in full
• The minimum BMI for Wegovy
• How can I get Wegovy?
• Wegovy eligibility explained