Study links rapid weight regain to discontinuation of weight-loss drugs
People who stop taking weight-loss medications regain weight faster than those who rely on diet- and exercise-based programmes, with most returning to their pre-treatment weight within two years, according to a study published in The British Medical Journal, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The study, led by researchers from the University of Oxford, analysed data from 37 clinical studies involving 9,341 overweight or obese patients treated with weight management medications. The analysis compared weight changes after treatment cessation with outcomes observed in behavioural weight management programmes, including structured diet and physical activity interventions.
Researchers found that participants regained weight at an average rate of 0.4 kg per month after stopping medication, projecting a return to baseline weight in approximately 1.7 years. Among those who had used newer and more effective GLP-1 drugs, weight regain was faster-around 0.8 kg per month-with a return to baseline weight estimated at about 1.5 years. By comparison, individuals who lost weight through behavioural approaches tended to regain it more gradually, at an estimated rate of around 0.1 kg per month.
Regardless of the amount of weight initially lost, the study showed that weight regain occurred more rapidly after medication-based treatment than after behavioural programmes. The analysis also found that improvements in blood pressure, cholesterol, fasting glucose, and HbA1c were not maintained after treatment stopped and were projected to return to pre-treatment levels within approximately 1.4 years.
“These medicines are transforming obesity treatment and can achieve important weight loss. However, our research shows that people tend to regain weight rapidly after stopping-faster than we see with behavioural programmes,” said Dr Sam West of the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences at the University of Oxford. “This isn’t a failure of the medicines-it reflects the nature of obesity as a chronic, relapsing condition. It sounds a cautionary note against short-term use without a more comprehensive approach to long-term weight management and highlights the importance of primary prevention.”
Ultimately, the researchers concluded that while weight-loss drugs are effective in achieving initial weight reduction, they may not be sufficient on their own to ensure long-term weight control without sustained treatment or broader, long-term management strategies.
As Qazinform News Agency reported earlier, the US Food and Drug Administration has recently approved a daily oral version of Novo Nordisk’s weight-loss drug Wegovy.
