Title: Weight Regain Common After Obesity Drug Treatment, Study Finds
A complete new study reveals that individuals often regain lost weight within two years of discontinuing obesity medication, including popular drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. The research, published in the British Medical Journal on January 7th, analyzed data from 37 studies encompassing 9,000 overweight participants.
Participants experienced an average weight loss of 8.3 kilograms over a 10-month period while taking weight-loss medications, specifically GLP-1 receptor agonists which mimic an intestinal hormone. However, follow-up monitoring over an additional eight months indicated a trend towards complete weight regain, with individuals projected to return to their initial weight within approximately 1.7 years.For those specifically using GLP-1 medications,the average weight loss was 14.7 kilograms, but projections suggest regaining the lost weight within 1.5 years if the observed trend continues.
Researchers emphasize that obesity is a chronic condition prone to relapse, suggesting that continued treatment might potentially be necessary for sustained weight management. An accompanying editorial in the British Medical Journal reinforces this, noting the findings align with the well-known “yo-yo effect” of rapid weight loss followed by equally rapid regain. The editorial advocates for a shift towards healthy diets and lifestyles as a long-term strategy to prevent weight creep following treatment cessation, highlighting that GLP-1 drugs are not a ”miracle cure” for obesity.