Overview
- Pooling 37 studies with 9,341 participants, researchers estimated average post‑drug weight regain of about 0.4 kg per month, with a return to baseline weight in roughly 1.7 years.
- Patients who stopped semaglutide or tirzepatide regained weight faster at about 0.8 kg per month and were projected to reach baseline in about 1.5 years after losing nearly 15 kg on treatment and regaining about 10 kg in the first year off‑therapy.
- Health improvements seen on the medications, including blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, were projected to revert to pre‑treatment levels around 1.4 years after stopping.
- Regain after medication discontinuation occurred about four times faster than after behavioral weight‑management programs, which typically see a slower return toward baseline over roughly four years.
- Authors and experts said obesity care likely requires prolonged treatment and integrated behavioral and nutritional support, highlighting that roughly half of users stop within a year and that UK access is constrained by private payment and an NHS two‑year cap on Wegovy, prompting calls to reassess cost‑effectiveness.