Wegovy is FDA-approved for weight loss; Ozempic and Mounjaro are not. These drugs were originally prescribed to patients with Type 2 diabetes as they produce insulin and lower blood sugar.

The more weight Ms. Acevedo, a longtime athlete, gained, the harder it was to move. Since she started on a weight-loss drug, she’s lost 30 pounds, and her blood sugar levels have fallen.

At least a dozen experimental weight-loss drugs designed to be taken as pills are working their way through clinical trials, with the most advanced now in the third and final stage of testing.