Guide · Updated September 2026

GLP-1 BMI Eligibility Chart: Do You Qualify by Drug in 2026?

The weight-loss GLP-1s (Wegovy, Zepbound, Foundayo, Saxenda) are FDA-approved for a BMI of 30 or higher, or 27 to 29.9 with a weight-related condition. Ozempic and Mounjaro don't use a BMI cutoff at all, because they're approved for type 2 diabetes, not weight loss. Here's the exact threshold for each drug, what counts as a qualifying condition, and why meeting the FDA criteria doesn't automatically mean your insurance will pay.

I get some version of “do I qualify?” more than almost any other question from people reading this site. The honest answer has two layers that get confused constantly: the FDA’s clinical eligibility criteria, which are the same nationwide, and your insurer’s prior authorization criteria, which are not. This guide covers the first layer in detail and points you to the second.

BMI Eligibility at a Glance

Thresholds reflect current FDA-approved prescribing information for each drug’s chronic weight management indication, cross-checked against manufacturer and clinical sources as of September 2026. Labels are amended over time. Confirm the current criteria with your prescriber or the drug’s official prescribing information before assuming you do or don’t qualify.

The Two BMI Pathways, Explained

Every weight-loss GLP-1 on the market uses the same two-pathway structure the FDA set for anti-obesity medications generally. It’s not drug-specific, it’s how this whole category of drug got approved.

Pathway 1: Obesity. A BMI of 30 or higher qualifies on its own. No additional diagnosis is required for FDA eligibility.

Pathway 2: Overweight plus a condition. A BMI of 27 to 29.9 qualifies only if you also have at least one weight-related health condition on your medical record. BMI alone in this range is not enough.

Your BMI is your weight in kilograms divided by your height in meters squared, or you can use our body composition tool to calculate it along with a rough estimate of body fat percentage, which BMI alone doesn’t capture.

What Counts as a Weight-Related Condition

For the 27-29.9 pathway, the conditions that typically qualify across these drugs’ labels include:

• Type 2 diabetes or prediabetes
• Hypertension (high blood pressure)
• Dyslipidemia (high cholesterol or triglycerides)
• Obstructive sleep apnea
• Cardiovascular disease

This list is consistent across Wegovy, Zepbound, Foundayo, and Saxenda, though the exact wording differs slightly by label. If you have one of these conditions documented in your chart and a BMI in the 27-29.9 range, you’re within the FDA-approved population even though you’re not technically “obese” by the numbers.

Drug by Drug

Wegovy (semaglutide)

Wegovy carries the broadest label of the group. Beyond the standard weight-management indication (BMI 30+, or 27-29.9 with a condition), it’s also FDA-approved for adolescents 12 and older with obesity, and to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke, cardiovascular death) in adults with established cardiovascular disease who also have obesity or are overweight. That cardiovascular indication doesn’t require a separate BMI calculation beyond the standard obesity/overweight thresholds, but it does require documented cardiovascular disease, which is a different qualifying path than the weight-related conditions listed above.

Zepbound (tirzepatide)

Zepbound uses the same BMI thresholds as Wegovy for its weight management indication. It also carries a second, separate indication: moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea in adults with obesity, approved in December 2024. That’s an OSA diagnosis plus obesity, not a standalone BMI calculation, and it’s a different qualifying path than the general weight-management indication above it.

Foundayo (orforglipron)

The FDA approved Foundayo, Eli Lilly’s oral GLP-1 pill, on April 1, 2026, for chronic weight management using the same BMI 30+/27-29.9-plus-condition structure as the injectables. As the newest drug in this category, its label and any additional indications are the ones most likely to change over the next year or two. Check the current prescribing information before assuming anything beyond the weight-management indication applies.

Saxenda (liraglutide)

Saxenda is the oldest weight-loss GLP-1 still on the market, approved years before Wegovy or Zepbound. Adults follow the same 30+/27-29.9-plus-condition structure. Adolescents 12 to 17 have a different threshold: a starting body weight above 60 kg (about 132 lbs) and a BMI at or above the adult obesity threshold. It’s a lower-dose, once-daily injection rather than the weekly injections used by Wegovy and Zepbound, and it’s used less often now that the newer drugs typically show stronger average results in trials, but it remains an FDA-approved, insurance-billable option for some patients.

Ozempic and Mounjaro: Not BMI-Based

This is the mix-up I see most. Ozempic and Mounjaro are the same active ingredients as Wegovy and Zepbound, at different approved doses, but they’re approved specifically for type 2 diabetes management. Their FDA eligibility is a diabetes diagnosis, generally supported by A1C levels, not a BMI cutoff. Weight loss on either drug is a documented secondary effect of treating diabetes, not the reason the FDA approved them. See our full breakdown of GLP-1 for diabetes vs. weight loss for how the prior authorization criteria differ between the two use cases, including for people who have both a qualifying BMI and a diabetes diagnosis.

Meeting FDA Criteria Doesn’t Guarantee Insurance Coverage

This is the part that trips people up. The BMI thresholds above are the FDA’s clinical eligibility criteria for the drug to be prescribed at all. They are not your insurance company’s coverage criteria, and the two are frequently different.

Your insurer can, and often does, require its own prior authorization on top of FDA eligibility. That typically means your prescriber has to document your BMI, your weight-related condition if you’re in the 27-29.9 range, and sometimes a record of prior weight-loss attempts, before the plan will pay. Meeting the FDA’s BMI threshold makes you eligible for the prescription. It does not by itself make your insurer required to cover it. See our guide on how to get insurance to cover GLP-1 medications for the coverage side of this, and our step therapy guide if your plan also requires trying a cheaper drug first.

If you’re at BMI 27-29.9 without a documented weight-related condition, or below 27 entirely, you’re outside the FDA-approved population for the weight-management indication on any of these drugs. That doesn’t mean there’s nothing to discuss with a doctor. It means the conversation is about whether a documented condition applies to you, whether a different approved use (like a diabetes diagnosis) fits your situation, or whether another approach makes more sense for now. Our guide on how to talk to your doctor about GLP-1 medications covers how to bring this up.

Bottom Line

Wegovy, Zepbound, Foundayo, and Saxenda all use the same FDA threshold: BMI 30 or higher on its own, or 27 to 29.9 with a documented weight-related condition like hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, or sleep apnea. Ozempic and Mounjaro don’t use a BMI cutoff at all, they’re diabetes drugs whose weight-loss effect is secondary to that approval. Meeting the FDA criteria gets you into the eligible population for a prescription. Whether your specific insurance plan pays for it is a separate question with its own paperwork, covered in our insurance coverage and step therapy guides.

FAQ

What BMI do I need for Wegovy or Zepbound?

A BMI of 30 or higher qualifies on its own. A BMI of 27 to 29.9 qualifies only with at least one documented weight-related condition, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, or obstructive sleep apnea.

Do Ozempic and Mounjaro have a BMI requirement?

No. Both are FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes management, not weight loss, so their approved use is based on a diabetes diagnosis and typically A1C levels rather than BMI. Any weight loss on these drugs is a secondary effect of the diabetes indication.

Does meeting the BMI threshold mean my insurance will cover it?

Not automatically. The BMI threshold is the FDA’s clinical eligibility criteria for the drug itself. Your insurer can apply separate prior authorization criteria on top of that, including documentation requirements and sometimes step therapy, before it will pay.

What counts as a “weight-related condition” for the 27-29.9 range?

Across these drugs’ labels, the commonly listed conditions include type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, hypertension, dyslipidemia (high cholesterol), obstructive sleep apnea, and cardiovascular disease. The exact wording varies slightly by drug, so check the specific label or ask your prescriber.

Can teenagers qualify for these medications?

Wegovy is FDA-approved for adolescents 12 and older with obesity. Saxenda has a separate adolescent indication for ages 12 to 17 with a body weight above 60 kg and BMI at or above the adult obesity threshold. Zepbound and Foundayo do not currently carry an adolescent indication.

Related

Guides:

• How to Get Insurance to Cover GLP-1 Medications
• GLP-1 Step Therapy: What It Is and How to Get It Waived
• GLP-1 for Type 2 Diabetes vs. Weight Loss
• How to Talk to Your Doctor About GLP-1 Medications

Tools:

• Body Composition Calculator
• Provider Match

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