What BMI do I need for Wegovy or Mounjaro in Australia?
For weight management, the Australian labels for Wegovy (semaglutide) and Mounjaro (tirzepatide) cover adults with a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 to under 30 with at least one weight-related condition. Wegovy's heart indication starts at a BMI of 27 with established heart disease. These are the limits a doctor works within, not an entitlement.
What are the BMI rules on each label?
Both labels use the same weight-management thresholds, and some other uses have their own.1,2
| Use on the Australian label | BMI rule |
|---|---|
| Wegovy or Mounjaro, weight management (adults) | 30 or more, or 27 to under 30 with a weight-related condition1,2 |
| Wegovy, lowering heart risk | 27 or more, with established cardiovascular disease and no diabetes3 |
| Wegovy 7.2 mg dose | 30 or more when treatment started1 |
| Mounjaro, sleep apnoea | Moderate to severe sleep apnoea in adults with obesity2 |
Wegovy also has a separate use for teenagers from 12 with obesity and a body weight over 60 kg. Treatment should be reassessed and stopped if their BMI hasn't fallen by at least 5% after 12 weeks on 2.4 mg or the highest dose they tolerate.1
Are the numbers lower for some groups?
The labels give one set of numbers, but Australian guidance says Asian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people carry more health risk at a lower BMI.4
The Australian Obesity Management Algorithm counts obesity from a BMI of 27.5 for Asian people, and recommends the same cut-offs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It also uses lower waist cut-offs for these groups: over 80 cm for women and over 90 cm for men.4
The PBS listing recommended for Wegovy, which is not in force, uses a BMI of 35, or 32.5 for Asian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, plus a past cardiovascular event.5,6
Is BMI the only thing that counts?
No. Australian guidance also uses waist size, and it sets a weight-loss target of 10 to 15% for a BMI of 30 to 40 or a large waist.4
A doctor also weighs your conditions, other medicines and plans such as pregnancy. How to check your own BMI and waist is in Guide 1. Who prescribes is in Can my GP prescribe Mounjaro?
- Stomach effects are very common. Nausea affected about 44 in 100 people on Wegovy over 68 weeks (16 in 100 on a dummy injection), and 25 to 29 in 100 on Mounjaro 5 mg to 15 mg (about 9 in 100 on a dummy).1,2
- Acute pancreatitis and gallstones are rarer but serious; Mounjaro's Australian label lists both as uncommon (1 in 100 to 1 in 1,000).2
- Pregnancy. Semaglutide and tirzepatide are pregnancy category D in Australia.4
Read the full picture
Related questions
Sources
- Novo Nordisk. Wegovy (semaglutide) Australian Product Information, date of revision 22 Jun 2026, sections 2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.8 and 6.4. Australian label. medsinfo.com.au (PDF)
- Eli Lilly. Mounjaro and Mounjaro KwikPen (tirzepatide) Australian Product Information, vA14.0, date of revision 2 Oct 2026, sections 2, 4.1, 4.2, 4.5, 4.8, 6.4 to 6.6. Australian label. medsinfo.com.au (PDF)
- newsGP (RACGP). Wegovy approved for cardiovascular disease in overweight and obesity, 17 Feb 2025. racgp.org.au
- Australian Diabetes Society, ANZOS, ANZMOSS and RACGP. Australian Obesity Management Algorithm, July 2024. diabetessociety.com.au (PDF)
- newsGP (RACGP). Wegovy recommended for PBS listing, 19 Dec 2025. racgp.org.au
- PBS. Medicine status: semaglutide (Wegovy), established cardiovascular disease with obesity, document 1460. Page last updated 23 Jul 2026. pbs.gov.au
Last checked 12 Oct 2026 · Next review due 12 Oct 2027 · Report an error
How this answer was made. Written by the GLP Guidebook team from the sources above, all checked on 12 Oct 2026. We don't publish medicine prices, and we don't name, rank or link to sellers or telehealth services. It's general information, not medical advice, and nothing here is an offer to supply any medicine. Talk to a GP, pharmacist or other qualified prescriber before starting, stopping or changing any medicine. How we write