Scientists Revealed What Happens to the Body After Stopping Ozempic and Analogues
New-generation weight loss drugs are often perceived as a simple way to adjust one's figure, but doctors warn: these medicines are intended for lifelong therapy, not for short-term use.
Photo: AP Photo / David J. Phillip
As writes The Wall Street Journal, popular GLP-1 class medications, actively promoted through aggressive advertising featuring global stars, are actually means for lifelong treatment of chronic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, not temporary "lifestyle solutions."
This distinction is crucial, as statistics indicate a worrying trend: despite approximately 18% of adult US residents having already taken these drugs, about half of them discontinue use within the first year. Many patients simply do not realize what awaits them after stopping therapy.
According to scientific research, after stopping treatment, people typically regain the lost weight in just a year and a half. At the same time, all positive changes in health indicators, such as improved blood sugar levels, blood pressure, or cholesterol, are nullified almost simultaneously with the return of kilograms — on average after 1.4 years.
The speed at which weight returns is of particular concern. An analysis of 37 scientific studies, published in the British Medical Journal, showed that after discontinuing GLP-1, people gain weight four times faster than those who lost weight through diet and exercise.
The analysis found that patients, on average, lost about 14.5 kg on these drugs, but regained almost 10 kg in the very first year after discontinuation. For comparison: people who lost weight through lifestyle changes rather than medication needed about four years to return to their initial weight.
Such a physiological reaction is explained by the body's functioning. The drugs mimic gut hormones that send a signal of fullness, but after discontinuing their use, the feeling of hunger becomes even more acute than it was before the start of treatment.
As scientists explain, this is the action of an ancient survival mechanism known as metabolic adaptation, which helped our ancestors conserve energy during starvation or stress and forced them to consume more calories afterward.
Moreover, as experts note, there is another little-studied but alarming phenomenon: if a person decides to restart GLP-1 after a break, the therapy is not always as effective as the first time or even the second.
Furthermore, according to specialists, cyclical weight changes — repeated gain and loss — can negatively affect the ratio of fat to muscle mass. With rapid weight loss, a quarter to a third of the lost weight comes from muscle. However, when weight returns, the body primarily accumulates fat, not muscle. This creates a dangerous imbalance in the patient's body composition.
In addition to the physiological consequences, there is also a psychological aspect. Weight regain often causes feelings of defeat, reduces motivation, and the desire to engage in physical activity.
According to specialists, the treatment of obesity is no different from the treatment of high cholesterol or diabetes. If you stop taking statins, cholesterol levels rise again. If you stop taking insulin, diabetes returns.
So, does it make sense to take GLP-1 short-term? Doctors believe the answer is positive, but on the condition of a well-thought-out long-term strategy for what to do "the day after stopping." This could involve switching to cheaper, older-generation drugs or very intense lifestyle changes to try and maintain the results.
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