Need to know: Obesity injection users likely to regain weight after treatment stops
- Research from the University of Cambridge has revealed that individuals using obesity injections like Mounjaro or Wegovy are likely to regain nearly two-thirds of their lost weight within a year of stopping the medication.
- The study, which analysed six trials involving over 3,200 participants, found that people typically regained 60% of their shed weight following a 52-week cessation period. However, the weight regain appears to plateau at 75% of the initial weight lost, meaning 25% could be maintained long-term.
- Researchers have cautioned that users could « be worse off than before » if the regained weight consists primarily of fat rather than muscle mass. The injections belong to a drug class called GLP-1 receptor agonists, originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes.
- Brajan Budini, a medical student at Cambridge, explained: « Drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy act like brakes on our appetite, making us feel full sooner, which means we eat less and therefore lose weight. »
- « When people stop taking them, they are essentially taking their foot off the brake and this can lead to rapid weight regain, » he added. The research highlighted concerns about the composition of weight regain and its potential health consequences.
- Researchers noted that existing prescribing guidelines are « inconsistent and largely inadequate in addressing the risk of weight regain following treatment cessation ». NICE advises semaglutide treatment for a maximum of two years, though no such restriction exists for tirzepatide.
- Experts emphasised the importance of combining medication with lifestyle changes. Steven Luo, another Cambridge medical student, said: « It’s important that people are given advice on improving their diet and exercise, rather than relying solely on the drugs. »
READ THE FULL STORY: Mounjaro and Wegovy weight loss jab users warned they could be ‘worse off than before’
Source link
