Can taking metformin help with weight loss?

Generally, metformin is a commonly used medication for treating type 2 diabetes. In some cases, it may help with weight control, but it should not be used solely as a weight-loss drug. Detailed explanations are as follows:

For patients with type 2 diabetes, especially those with insulin resistance, metformin can work through multiple mechanisms that may lead to some weight loss. It reduces hepatic glucose output, improves peripheral tissue sensitivity to insulin, increases glucose uptake and utilization, and may also suppress appetite and reduce gastrointestinal absorption of nutrients. Collectively, these effects may result in weight reduction.

However, using metformin for weight loss in non-diabetic individuals is inappropriate and unsafe. Non-diabetic individuals taking metformin may experience a series of adverse reactions, such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, among other gastrointestinal discomforts, which can be life-threatening in severe cases. People without diabetes may not achieve weight loss by taking metformin, as its weight-reducing effect is based on improving metabolic disorders associated with diabetes. In non-diabetic populations, this mechanism of action may not function effectively.

For weight loss, individuals should adopt a healthy lifestyle, including controlling calorie intake, maintaining balanced nutrition, increasing physical activity, boosting basal metabolic rate, ensuring regular sleep patterns, and reducing stress. If medical intervention is required under special circumstances, it should be conducted under the guidance of a physician, rather than through self-administration of drugs such as metformin.