Less than two years after stopping obesity drugs, weight and health issues return, study finds
A recent University of Oxford study published in the BMJ confirms that individuals discontinuing obesity drugs like GLP-1 agonists (e.g., Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro) regain weight and see health benefits reverse within less than two years.
Researchers analyzed 37 studies with over 9,000 patients, comparing drug effects to non-drug interventions or placebos. Weight regain occurs at an average rate of 0.4 kg per month after stopping, projecting a return to baseline weight in about 1.7 years—four times faster than with diet and exercise alone. Health markers for diabetes and heart disease revert to pre-treatment levels in roughly 1.4 years.
Semaglutide (Ozempic/Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound) users lost nearly 15 kg on treatment but regained about 10 kg (two-thirds) within one year post-discontinuation. The faster regain ties to the drugs’ appetite-suppressing mechanism, which ceases abruptly, unlike gradual lifestyle adaptations.
Obesity acts as a chronic condition requiring ongoing management, similar to diabetes or hypertension, where stopping treatment leads to relapse. Lead author Sam West emphasizes holistic approaches over short-term drug use, including long-term medical, nutritional, and behavioral support. Co-author Susan Jebb notes patients on drugs may lack learned appetite-control strategies from diet programs.
