Weight Returns Within Two Years After Stopping Weight-Loss Injections, Study Finds

People who stop taking weight-loss injections regain the weight they lost in under two years, according to a major new study. The medications, known as GLP-1 agonists, were originally developed for diabetes and work by suppressing appetite. Researchers from the University of Oxford analysed 37 studies involving more than 9,300 participants and published their findings in the BMJ. On average, participants regained weight at a rate of 0.4kg per month after stopping treatment, 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. Researchers also found that improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol reversed within 1.4 years of stopping medication. Scientists stressed this reflects obesity being a chronic condition rather than a failure of the drugs. Experts from Diabetes UK and the Obesity Health Alliance said long-term support and healthier food environments are essential. The NHS emphasised that weight-loss drugs must be combined with lifestyle and behavioural support to achieve lasting results.