Many users of Ozempic doubt that they can lose weight without drugs: Study

Although Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs have shown considerable promise in returning patients to a healthy weight, many who take the drugs are not confident that they can maintain the improvement after stopping treatment, follow the new report.

In a survey of 500 patients by weight loss management service platform Levity, only two out of five of those taking GLP-1 drugs were confident they would keep the weight off. their weight gain after stopping the medication.

But in the report, there were clear benefits to the treatment. About 75 percent of people taking GLP-1 pills report improved physical health, 68 percent feel more confident and 56 percent say their health is better. the mind has improved.

But there were also problems with taking the medicine. Half of those using GLP-1 therapy say they feel judged or embarrassed about using weight loss drugs, and women are more likely to feel this way, at 66, compared to 32 percent of men.

Ena Cardona-Mason, a licensed family physician in Utah and owner of The Holistic Approach for Women, says she has seen many patients hope for miraculous weight loss using Ozempic. , which was originally designed to manage type 2 diabetes.

According to Cardona-Mason, the concern of patients dependent on these drugs is real, as many regain weight once they finish the medication.

A 2022 study found that after the last year on Ozempic, the average person had gained two-thirds of the weight they had lost at the beginning.

“It is true that Ozempic is effective in weight loss by controlling appetite and reducing digestion, but studies show that most people regain the weight after a year without big life changes,” Cardona-Mason said. Newsweek.

Weight gain often occurs because Ozempic mimics GLP-1, a hormone that reduces hunger. When it is stopped, appetite and previous habits often return, and some patients also develop metabolic adaptation, which is a decrease in metabolism after losing weight.

“Without ongoing medication or significant lifestyle changes, the body’s natural tendency is to gain weight,” Cardona-Mason added. “Although Ozempic can initiate weight loss, long-term maintenance requires consistent lifestyle changes.”

Benjamin Reiner, an assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, agreed.

Reiner says the research suggests that drug addicts should be concerned not only with losing weight but also with maintaining that weight once the drug is stopped.

“The thing that people need to know about taking Ozempic, or similar medications, is that they need to make a plan after they stop treatment,” Reiner said. Newsweek. “If someone loses weight, but after stopping treatment they go back to the same diet and exercise routine that led to their obesity, then they can regain the weight, and some people weighed more than they had before they started treatment.

Rather than seeing it as a cure, Cardona-Mason said, Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs should be used in conjunction with improved diet and increased physical activity.

Ozempic patients should also avoid stopping the medication suddenly, as it is usually recommended to taper off under medical supervision.

“Maintaining weight is a lifelong journey,” said Cardona-Mason. “Tackling the root cause of weight gain—poor eating, stress, sleep problems—and building consistent habits. This approach will always be more effective than relying solely on medicines.”