How Much Do You Have to Weigh for Wegovy — and What Else the Criteria Actually Cover

The myth worth correcting first: it isn't purely about hitting a target weight

The most common misunderstanding our prescribers encounter is that Wegovy eligibility is a simple weight threshold, hit the number, get the medicine. That isn't how it works. The licensed criteria are expressed in BMI, not kilograms, because a given body weight means something entirely different depending on your height. A 90 kg person who is 5 ft 3 in has a very different clinical picture from a 90 kg person who is 6 ft 1 in. The NHS BMI calculator is a useful starting point if you want to check your own figure before booking a consultation.

Under the UK licensed criteria for Wegovy, the private prescription route is open to adults with a BMI of 30 or above, or 27 or above when a weight-related condition is also present. Conditions that qualify at the lower threshold include prediabetes, hypertension, obstructive sleep apnoea and raised cholesterol, among others. For some ethnic backgrounds (South Asian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, Black African or African-Caribbean) UK guidance applies thresholds that are 2.5 kg/m² lower, reflecting different cardiometabolic risk patterns at a given BMI. The prescriber looks at all of this together, not just the BMI field on your form. NICE's appraisal of Wegovy (TA875) and the SmPC set the framework; our clinical team applies it to your individual case.

It's also worth knowing what sits outside those criteria. Wegovy is not licensed for under-18s, is not recommended in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, or for anyone actively trying to conceive. Certain conditions (including a history of medullary thyroid carcinoma or MEN2) require careful prescriber review. BMI eligibility is necessary; it isn't sufficient on its own.

What private Wegovy actually costs, and what the headline price often leaves out

Private treatment pricing in the UK varies meaningfully by provider and by dose. Since Eli Lilly raised the list price of Mounjaro in September 2025, the broader market for injectable weight-loss medicines has repriced; Wegovy sits in a similar bracket, and if you want a detailed breakdown, our guide to the Wegovy drug price in the UK covers what different providers are charging and why figures vary so much. Those figures are widely reported in the trade press and give a reasonable sense of the market, but treat any specific number as a guide rather than a guarantee.

What those headline figures regularly exclude is worth understanding before you compare. Some providers charge separately for the consultation, the prescription, and delivery. Aftercare (clinical review when you have a question at 8pm on a Saturday, dose-increase sign-off, repeat assessment) can sit behind a paywall or a subscription tier. The full picture of what Wegovy costs in the UK usually looks different once those add-ons are included. A lower upfront number is not always a lower total cost.

At nume, we enter that conversation plainly: we are not the cheapest option, and that's a deliberate choice. The price you pay covers your consultation, prescription, treatment and free next-working-day DPD delivery, nothing extra, nothing hidden. Current pricing is shown on our treatment page; we don't print per-pen figures in our editorial content because the right dose for you is a clinical decision, not a shopping choice.

Why the cheapest listing answers the wrong question

For a prescription medicine that requires cold-chain storage and comes from a licensed supply route, price is genuinely the wrong test. Wegovy pens need to be kept refrigerated (between 2°C and 8°C, whether that's in the fridge door or a cool bag when you travel) and a pen from an unverified seller may have been stored incorrectly, diluted, or fabricated entirely. The MHRA has seized approximately 20 million doses of illegally traded weight-loss medicines with a street value of around £45 million, and has raided at least one UK site producing counterfeit tirzepatide pens. Fake pens have contained insulin rather than the labelled medicine. A small saving is not a measure that keeps you safe.

The safe route is a pharmacy you can verify on the GPhC register. Ours is registered under premises number 9012878, you can check that directly on the GPhC register. Red flags for any online seller include offers made without a prior prescription, prices far below the reported market range, and anything promoted through social media with an urgency message. If you encounter a suspect seller, report it via the MHRA's Yellow Card scheme.

If you'd like to understand how much weight people have lost on Wegovy, including real-world accounts from those who have used it, or want to read about how much weight Wegovy can help you lose based on the clinical evidence, our weight loss treatment overview covers both, and if you're curious about how much weight you might lose on Wegovy given your own starting point, that page works through the question in more personal terms. When you're ready to check your eligibility formally, a prescriber will review your answers the same day.