Jess Battison
A study has revealed what actually happens to your body when you stop using weight loss drugs.
Injectables like Ozempic and Mounjaro seem to have firmly become common knowledge in recent months, but they’ve been knocking about in celebrity circles for years.
Well, they’ve long been treating type two diabetics, but now they’ve become a go-to for people trying to lose weight.
Plenty of warnings have been issued about getting access to an online prescription for the medications (which may not always be right for your health), while Mounjaro is now safely rolled out on the NHS.
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It's important to note that Ozempic isn’t officially approved for weight loss and is only for treating type two diabetes.
Mounjaro contains tirzepatide while Ozempic contains semaglutide. Essentially, the injectables mimic the hormones the body naturally produces after eating, therefore you’re left feeling fuller for longer and with a reduced appetite.
It’s important people using the drugs balance it with exercise and a balanced, nutritional diet to safely lose healthy amounts of weight.
But with the drugs quickly rocketing in popularity, not everyone is so aware of life after.
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A study published yesterday (8 August) on Science Daily reports that: “Stopping prescription weight loss drugs often leads to significant weight regain, according to a large-scale analysis of 11 global studies.”
It summarises: "Researchers found that although these medications, including GLP-1-based treatments like semaglutide and tirzepatide, help patients lose substantial weight while in use, gains tend to return within weeks of stopping.”
The amount of weight regain does seem to vary depending on which drug was used, but there’s a decent trend in associated weight gain after the use ends.
The authors analysed data from 1,574 participants in treatment groups and 893 in control groups, measuring weight change by changes in body weight and BMI after stopping medication.
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It found that weight regain roughly started eight weeks after stopping, and continued for an average of 20 weeks before plateauing.
“Weight regain varied with follow-up, with study participants experiencing significant periods of weight regain at eight, 12, and 20 weeks after AOM [anti-obesity medications] discontinuation,” it explained.
As an example, those who completed a 36-week treatment of tirzepatide regained almost half the weight previously lost after switching to a placebo.
It’s noted that the weight regain has been reported with other weight loss methods like gastric bypass.
The manufacturers of Mounjaro, Eli Lilly, declined LADbible's request for comment.
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The manufacturers of Ozempic, Novo Nordisk, told LADbible: "Results from the STEP clinical trials demonstrate that weight regain is likely once medication is stopped. Clinical experts consulted by Novo Nordisk view obesity as a chronic disease that should be managed similar to other long-term health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
"Once weekly weight loss medications should be taken in addition to diet and physical activity as per the license. We advise patients that when deciding or when the decision to stop the once weekly injection is made, they work with their prescribing healthcare professional and healthcare team for an individualised plan of next steps including maintaining a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity."