Weight Regain Likely After Stopping Obesity Drugs, Major Study Finds

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London: Patients who stop taking popular weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are likely to regain the weight they lost and lose associated health benefits within two years, according to a large review of existing research.

The analysis, published in The British Medical Journal, examined data from 37 studies involving 9,341 overweight or obese patients who were treated with 18 different anti-obesity medications. Researchers found that after discontinuing the drugs, patients regained weight at an average rate of nearly 0.4kg (about one pound) per month and were projected to return to their pre-treatment weight within around 1.7 years.

On average, participants lost 8.3kg while on medication. However, the study projected that benefits such as improved heart health, lower cholesterol levels and reduced blood pressure would disappear within 18 months of stopping treatment.

“What we’ve shown is that weight regain after medication is common and rapid,” said Susan Jebb, a co-author of the study and a public health nutrition scientist at the University of Oxford. She added that obesity should be viewed as a “chronic relapsing condition” that requires ongoing intervention to sustain long-term benefits.

The findings add to growing evidence that while weight-loss drugs can deliver significant short-term results, maintaining those gains remains a major challenge. Experts warn that health systems need to prepare for millions of patients who are expected to discontinue the drugs in the coming years.

Researchers noted that both weight loss and subsequent regain occurred more quickly among drug users than among people following behavioural weight-loss programmes. They also acknowledged limitations, including potential bias in nearly one-third of the studies and differences between patient populations.

Independent experts said the findings align with emerging understanding of the drugs’ strengths and limits. Adam Collins, associate professor of nutrition at the University of Surrey, said the study highlights the difficulty of sustaining weight loss for the growing number of people who will stop taking the medications.

Another concern is nutrition and muscle loss. Separate research published in Obesity Reviews found that up to 40 per cent of weight lost using these drugs may be lean body mass, including muscle. Many users, particularly those buying the drugs privately, receive little guidance on diet or physical activity.

“If nutritional care is not integrated alongside treatment, there’s a risk of replacing one set of health problems with another,” said Marie Spreckley of the University of Cambridge.

Experts stressed that weight-loss medications remain essential for some patients with severe obesity, but the studies underscore the need for long-term strategies, including dietary support and lifestyle interventions, to maintain benefits after treatment ends.