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

People who stop using weight-loss injections regain the weight they lost in under two years, according to a major new analysis. The study, led by researchers at the University of Oxford and published in the BMJ, reviewed 37 studies involving more than 9,300 participants using GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. On average, participants lost 8.3kg during treatment but began regaining weight at a rate of 0.4kg per month after stopping, returning to their original weight within about 1.7 years. This regain occurred almost four times faster than in people following behavioural weight-loss programmes such as diet or exercise plans. Researchers also found that improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol reversed within 1.4 years of stopping treatment. Dr Sam West of Oxford said the findings reflect obesity being a chronic, relapsing condition rather than a failure of the drugs. Experts from Diabetes UK and the Obesity Health Alliance stressed the need for long-term lifestyle support alongside medication. The NHS said weight-loss drugs are a valuable tool but must be combined with sustained dietary and physical-activity support to maintain benefits.