The Struggle to Keep Weight Off After Stopping Ozempic and Other GLP-1 Drugs
While medications in the GLP-1 class like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound have demonstrated impressive weight loss results for obesity, their effects are often temporary. Many patients struggle with regaining weight rapidly after discontinuing the drugs.
Clinical studies show a majority of patients re-gain all the weight lost on these medications within 6-12 months after stopping treatment, often returning to their original starting weights.
The drugs work by suppressing appetite through impacting hormones like GLP-1. When the medication is stopped, feelings of hunger can surge back vigorously.
Experts stress the importance of using the GLP-1 drugs as a tool to develop sustainable lifestyle habits around diet and exercise. Simply taking the medication alone is unlikely to lead to permanent weight loss for most.
Some physicians may recommend staying on the weight loss injections indefinitely to prevent the typical weight regain seen after discontinuing them. However, this approach raises concerns around long-term safety and costs.
Managing the transition off medications like Ozempic by tapering doses gradually and introducing lifestyle changes may help mitigate some of the weight regain risk. But for many, the struggle continues.
As use of these drugs explodes, more research is still needed on effective strategies to maintain weight loss after stopping GLP-1 treatment for obesity.
