Weight Quickly Returns After Stopping Weight-Loss Jabs, Major Study Finds

People who stop taking weight-loss jabs regain all 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. Weight-loss drugs known as GLP-1 agonists help reduce appetite, but the analysis found weight returns rapidly once treatment ends. On average, people regained weight at a rate of 0.4kg per month, returning to their original weight within 1.7 years. Weight regain occurred almost four times faster than after behavioural programmes such as diet or exercise plans. Researchers also found that improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol reversed within about 1.4 years. 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 that medication must be paired with long-term lifestyle support. The NHS said weight-loss drugs are helpful but not a standalone solution and must be combined with diet and physical activity guidance.