Weight Returns Within Two Years After Stopping GLP-1 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 agonist medications. These drugs, originally developed for diabetes, suppress appetite by mimicking the GLP-1 hormone. On average, participants lost 8.3kg during treatment but regained weight at a rate of 0.4kg per month after stopping, returning to their original weight within about 1.7 years. Weight regain occurred nearly four times faster than in behavioural programmes such as diet and exercise plans. Researchers also found that improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol reversed within roughly 1.4 years. Experts stressed this reflects obesity’s chronic nature rather than failure of the drugs, highlighting the need for long-term support. Groups including Diabetes UK and the NHS emphasised that weight-loss medications should be combined with sustained lifestyle and behavioural support to maintain benefits.