Weight Regain Follows Rapidly After Stopping Weight-Loss Jabs, Major Study Finds

People who stop taking 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 medications. On average, people regained weight at a rate of 0.4kg per month after stopping treatment and returned to their original weight within about 1.7 years. This rate of regain was almost four times faster than that seen after behavioural weight-loss programmes such as diet and exercise plans. Participants lost an average of 8.3kg while on medication but regained nearly 5kg within the first year of stopping. Researchers also found that improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol reversed within roughly 1.4 years. Experts stressed this reflects obesity being a chronic condition rather than a failure of the drugs. Groups including Diabetes UK and the NHS said the findings highlight the need for long-term support alongside medication, rather than short-term use alone.