People who stop using weight-loss injections regain the weight they lost in under two years, according to a major new study. The analysis, led by researchers at University of Oxford and published in the BMJ, reviewed 37 studies involving more than 9,300 participants taking GLP-1 agonist medications. These drugs, originally developed for diabetes, mimic the GLP-1 hormone to reduce appetite and increase feelings of fullness.
The researchers found that after stopping treatment, participants regained weight at an average rate of 0.4kg per month, returning to their original weight within about 1.7 years. Weight regain occurred almost four times faster than in people following behavioural weight-loss programmes such as diet and exercise plans. On average, patients lost 8.3kg while on medication but regained nearly 5kg within the first year of stopping.
Dr Sam West of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences said the findings highlight obesity as a chronic, relapsing condition rather than a failure of medication. The study also showed that improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol reversed within roughly 1.4 years of stopping treatment. Experts from Diabetes UK and the Obesity Health Alliance stressed that weight-loss drugs are not a quick fix and must be combined with long-term lifestyle and environmental changes. The NHS echoed this view, emphasising that medication should be paired with ongoing behavioural support to maintain long-term benefits.
