New Weight Loss Medications Gain Popularity
In recent years, a new generation of diabetes and obesity treatments has gained popularity, particularly in wealthy nations. These medications increase the action of a hormone to regulate insulin secretion (GLP-1, peptide similar to type 1 glucagon) and enhance feelings of fullness. The World Health Organization (WHO) added these treatments to its list of essential medicines in September, requesting cheaper generic versions for less-developed countries. These drugs have been proven to help users lose between 15% and 20% of their weight.
Study Reveals Rapid Weight Regain
However, a recent British study published this week reveals that when these weight loss medications are discontinued, users regain their weight approximately four times faster than those who stop a diet and exercise program.
Susan Jebb, a public nutrition specialist at the University of Oxford and co-author of the study, states, “All of this seems like good news,” but recent data indicates that “about half of the people stop these medications within a year.”
Reasons for Discontinuation
The study’s authors suggest that frequent side effects, such as nausea, and high prices—which can exceed $1,000 per month in the United States—may contribute to users discontinuing these medications.
After analyzing 37 studies on the discontinuation of various weight loss treatments, researchers found that participants regained about 0.4 kg per month.
Six clinical trials focused on semaglutida, the active ingredient in Ozempic (for type 2 diabetes) and Wegovy (from Danish giant Novo Nordisk) for obesity, as well as tirzepatida in Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro. During treatment with these molecules, participants lost an average of 15 kg. However, one year after treatment suspension, users regained approximately 10 kg, the longest follow-up period for these new medications.
Researchers project that patients will return to their initial weight in an average of 18 months. Cardiovascular indicators, such as blood pressure and cholesterol levels, recover their original values in 1.4 years.
In contrast, individuals following diet and exercise programs without medication lost much less weight but took an average of four years to regain it.
This indicates that users of weight loss medications regained their weight four times faster than those who followed diet and exercise programs.
“A Starting Point”
Sam West, the study’s lead author from the University of Oxford, explains that “significant weight loss generally leads to faster weight regain.” Another analysis shows that “weight gain is systematically faster after medication use, regardless of initial weight loss.”
A possible explanation is that individuals accustomed to healthier eating habits and increased exercise continue these practices even after regaining weight.
Although GLP-1 type medications are “a valuable tool in obesity treatment,” Jebb notes that obesity is a chronic and recurring disease. “These treatments are likely to be lifelong, similar to hypertension medications,” she adds. This could influence how national health systems determine the cost-effectiveness of these drugs, according to scientists.
“These new data clearly show a starting point, not a cure,” says Garron Dodd, a metabolic neuroscience researcher at the University of Melbourne who did not participate in the study. “A sustainable treatment likely requires combined approaches, long-term strategies, and therapies that review how the brain interprets energy balance rather than just the amount of food consumed,” he tells the Science Media Centre.
Key Questions and Answers
- What are these new medications? These are GLP-1 type drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, used for treating type 2 diabetes and obesity.
- Why do people stop taking these medications? Frequent side effects and high prices contribute to users discontinuing these medications.
- How quickly do users regain weight after stopping these medications? Users regain their weight approximately four times faster than those who stop a diet and exercise program.
- What do these findings mean for long-term treatment of obesity? These medications are a valuable tool, but obesity is a chronic condition requiring long-term management. Sustainable treatment likely involves combined approaches and therapies that address how the brain interprets energy balance.
