A landmark study led by the University of Oxford has found that people who stop taking weight-loss jabs regain all the weight originally lost in under two years, and at a rate nearly four times faster than those on behavioural programmes. The analysis, published in the BMJ, reviewed 37 studies involving 9,341 participants.
On average, those who stopped the medication regained weight at a rate of 0.4kg per month, returning to their original weight within 1.7 years. During treatment, participants lost an average of 8.3kg but regained 4.8kg within the first year. The rapid regain was not due to the drugs themselves but reflects obesity as a chronic condition, said Dr Sam West of Oxford.
The study also found that benefits to cardio-metabolic health markers, such as blood pressure and cholesterol, returned to original levels within 1.4 years of stopping treatment. This is the first study to provide specific rates and time frames for weight and metabolic reversal after stopping GLP-1 agonists like Wegovy and Mounjaro.
Experts emphasised that these drugs are not a quick fix. Dr Faye Riley of Diabetes UK said they require appropriate prescribing and wraparound support. Katharine Jenner of the Obesity Health Alliance added that the food environment must improve to sustain long-term benefits. An NHS spokesperson noted that the drugs must be paired with lifestyle support.
