News: 0180587144

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Many People Who Come Off GLP-1 Drugs Regain Weight Within 2 Years, Review Suggests (cnn.com)

(Thursday January 15, 2026 @05:40PM (msmash) from the PSA dept.)


Many people who stop using weight loss drugs will [1]return to their previous weight within two years , a new review of existing research has found. CNN adds:

> This rate of weight regain is significantly faster than that seen in those who have lost weight by changing other lifestyle factors, such as diet and exercise, rather than relying on GLP-1 medications, researchers from the University of Oxford report in [2]a paper published Wednesday in The BMJ journal.

>

> GLP-1, which stands for glucagon-like peptide-1, is a hormone naturally made by the body that helps signal to the brain and the gut that it's full and doesn't need to eat any more. Weight loss drugs mimic the action of this hormone by increasing the secretion of insulin to lower blood sugar. They also slow the movement of food through the digestive tract, which helps people feel full more quickly and for longer, and they work in the brain to reduce appetite.



[1] https://edition.cnn.com/2026/01/08/health/weight-loss-drugs-regain-scli-intl-wellness

[2] https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj-2025-085304



No doubt they want you to stay on them for life (Score:5, Insightful)

by magzteel ( 5013587 )

It's not surprising that people would regain weight after coming off the drugs. They didn't actually fix anything. Besides, as Chris Rock said, the money is in the medicine, not the cure. [1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7P4iFg048k

Re: (Score:2)

by Austerity Empowers ( 669817 )

I don't think it's malicious. Most people who lose weight by any sort of diet end up putting it back on. The whole concept of a "diet" is inherently flawed. It should be looked at more like treating alcoholism or drug addiction, except that you can't go cold turkey, and you probably can't even control your lifestyle.

What we fundamentally need is a device that monitors our calorie intake and our calorie expenditure and starts asserting itself when our budget is off. The one nature provided isn't working out.

Re: (Score:3)

by ambrandt12 ( 6486220 )

Treating alcoholism: what, something like AA (where you admit that you're putting your trust in a higher power) or NA?

You do realize some people's bodies are wired different, so they'll gain weight if they even look at a pizza, and others (like me) can eat anything without gaining or losing anything (weighted within 1-2 pounds either up or down for the last like 18 years).

Of course, the weight comes back when you stop using the appetite suppressant and you go back to eating what you ate before when you gai

Re:No doubt they want you to stay on them for life (Score:4, Interesting)

by Frobnicator ( 565869 )

> The whole concept of a "diet" is inherently flawed. It should be looked at more like treating alcoholism or drug addiction

A couple issues with that.

First issue in English is that "diet" is both a noun and a verb.

* As a noun it is fine. Every living thing has a diet. Some people have a diet of junk food, others a more balanced diet.

* As a verb it is a little more complex. There are trends of diets that are popular this year. One year fats are the problem, the next carbs, the next it's everything about 'heart healthy'. Lots of people are against gluten yet have no idea what it is or what it does. This year the hip and trendy folks are getting their GLP Ones to drop a few pounds. Those are all unhealthy. However, it can be done in healthy ways.

The second is that for morbidly obese people, diet is almost never the root of the problem.

The data show clearly that it is complex and that most people who are obese have multiple factors. Physical activity is lifestyle related, hitting career, geography, friends, and age, contributing to a spiral. Genetics is a factor, with quite a few genes identified that have a major role. Stress is a huge factor, and people with stress-related eating often become obese. That ties into clear socioeconomic links, as being poor increases stress and limits access to quality food. Lack of sleep is both a causal issue and a consequence of obesity, contributing to a spiral. Many medications can affect weight, some triggering it or disrupting signals around hunger; whether that's antidepressants, birth control pills, insulin, or a person's marijuana use. Several health conditions can increase weight gain or help people lose it, and this is one GLP-1 agonists can help with.

If it were as simple as willpower and changing what food people buy for their diet, nobody would be fat. For most people it is a mix of addressing psychology, changing social groups, making adjustments to career choices or what is done within the career, and overcoming a lifetime of habits, all are quite resistant to change.

Re:No doubt they want you to stay on them for life (Score:5, Insightful)

by Smidge204 ( 605297 )

No conspiracy needed.

The drug suppresses your apatite. It does not change the underlying habits or permanently alter your urges. So when you stop taking the drug, you end up right back on the road that got you there in the first place.

Frankly, a drug that DOES permanently alter your behavior would be far more troubling.

=Smidge=

Re: (Score:1)

by dfghjk ( 711126 )

"The drug suppresses your apatite."

It does not. That is not how the drug works but is, instead, a common side effect.

Can always count on you to lecture about things you do not know.

Re:No doubt they want you to stay on them for life (Score:4, Interesting)

by Locke2005 ( 849178 )

I'm on GLP-1 for diabetes. I dropped from 175 to 150 pounds (I'm 6 foot tall), despite forcing myself to eat. The drug does make you not care about eating, and for some people has nausea side effect. It also slows digestion. But honestly, I wasn't eating less, but still lost 5 pounds a week. So it not just the fact that it stops hunger that makes it work

Re: (Score:2)

by Locke2005 ( 849178 )

On the bright side, I just tried on my 53-year old freshman PE shirt, and it fit perfectly!

Re: (Score:2)

by Smidge204 ( 605297 )

> It does not. That is not how the drug works but is, instead, a common side effect.

That is literally how it works. It does it through a few mechanisms, but the entire reason it's used as a weight loss/control drug is because it suppresses appetite* (to correct my spelling from before heh).

Slowing gut movement and increasing satiety are the desired effects when used for weight management... can't really call it a side effect when it's the desired effect. If it only altered blood sugar levels, it would on

Re: (Score:2)

by fahrbot-bot ( 874524 )

> The drug suppresses your apatite.

I think that's the practical effect, not specifically how it works, but that's splitting hairs for a general discussion.

> It does not change the underlying habits or permanently alter your urges.

Nor does it change your genetics or metabolism, which are probably the main drivers.

> So when you stop taking the drug, you end up right back on the road that got you there in the first place.

Yup, as with anything that simply interferes with but doesn't/can't change the underlying conditions or facts.

Re:No doubt they want you to stay on them for life (Score:5, Insightful)

by smooth wombat ( 796938 )

as Chris Rock said, the money is in the medicine, not the cure.

Which is why Big Pharma cured the world of smallpox and Rinderpest. Think of the hundreds of billions of dollars they've lost by getting rid of those two. If you include how close we were to getting rid of polio, their losses would easily top $1 trillion.

But sure, let's talk about cures. Start with cancer. Which of the 200+ varieties do you want to work on first? Once you've settled on one, figure out how one cure will work for everyone taking into consideration the vast amount of genetic differences. Hint: black people react differently to many standard drugs than do caucasians.

It's nice to blame Big Pharma for some things (price gouging), but claiming they're not trying to cure people because they want to make money is stupid, no matter what [1]Goldman Sachs has to say [cnbc.com].

[1] https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/11/goldman-asks-is-curing-patients-a-sustainable-business-model.html

Re: (Score:2)

by thegarbz ( 1787294 )

Well Chris Rock has a long history and understanding of the medical industry, just like when he made fun of someone's genetic condition that caused them bodily disfigurement on television, a person that worked in an industry and had a gender where looks are important.

But at least he got bitchslapped for that. It was the funniest part of his routine.

Re: (Score:2)

by Shades72 ( 6355170 )

You almost were correct with the statement in your post. Of course Big pharma will cure anyone from ailments that kill you, especially in your earliest years. Because that means they have the rest of your lifetime to make much, much more from you and your much longer lasting and more severe ailments. Of course big pharma cures you from other ailments in your pre-teen and teenage years as well. Because that allows you to build up a life and a much larger income for longer, so you will actually have serious m

Re: (Score:1)

by ozzymodus12 ( 8111534 )

I have type 2 Diabetes. I get that it's hard to diet. I also understand that most food in the US is a war-crime. I still eat horrifically but stay thin. With the world changing , it's hard to imagine we'll get around to just eating healthy. These drugs are a poor solution that seem conveniently set to a very high price.

Re: (Score:2)

by Locke2005 ( 849178 )

Pill form Wegovy is now out for $150/month, or $25/month if your insurance covers it. Yeah, Mounjaro is still over $1000/month.

Re: (Score:1)

by ozzymodus12 ( 8111534 )

They tried to get me on Mounjaro. I look it over and said no. I have the money, I just rather keep my money and try to diet better. I'm only 150. I just need more veggies and less carbs.

Re: (Score:3)

by Vrallis ( 33290 )

They absolutely do fix something, it's just not permanent.

Being on these meds are the first time in my life that I have any clue what 'full' feels like. My brain chemistry is broken. This fixes it.

For decades the push was always "just change your eating habits, that will fix it over time." For many of us, no, that won't do shit. I could put myself near starvation for months at a time, and while yes I could drop weight it didn't fix anything with my appetite. You can only push your sanity so far be

Re: (Score:2)

by thegarbz ( 1787294 )

It is slightly surprising. These drugs are appetite suppressors, but there's also evidence that eating less causes a reduction in appetite over time as your body gets used to signalling your are full with a smaller meal (this is why the myth that your stomach shrinks persists. It's not a physical change change in the stomach but rather a psychological one in the brain)

I am actually surprised that the brain doesn't adapt to accept the druged state as the new normal food level as it does with people who under

Precisely (Score:2)

by RogueWarrior65 ( 678876 )

From an engineering perspective, taking a drug that just curbs your appetite is a hack. Your metabolic rate is encoded into your DNA. That explains why among people who eat exactly the same thing and have the same amount of activity don't weigh the same (or have the same BMI or whatever metric you choose to use). It also explains why some people who were at a reasonable weight and gained weight for a specific reason are able to lose it. By the same token, going to a gym or becoming a slave to a diet nev

Re: (Score:2)

by timeOday ( 582209 )

You know what else loses efficacy if you discontinue it?

Diet and exercise.

Do you also blame cancer victims? (Score:5, Informative)

by Somervillain ( 4719341 )

> Who'd have thought you'd actually have to eat right and get a reasonable amount of exercise? I'd guess that those that kept the weight off actually did change their habits. I get that it's hard, many people grow up with parents who think pizza is healthy. So, they grow up fat, and it's probably much more difficult to loose weight you've always had since childhood, than it is if you just let yourself go because of life happenings.

Obesity is a complex multi-variable equation and no two bodies are the same. What works one year, can fail the next. The majority do get obese from making reckless choices, but many, myself included, have genetic predispositions that make it nearly impossible to lose weight and keep it off. My entire family is fat and nearly all eat responsibly. I am more responsible than the overwhelming majority of skinny people on the planet and I am a chubby fucker...not as fat as I would be if I wasn't, but it's a lifelong struggle and very difficult. It's like thinking that all cancer is caused by stupid decisions and blaming the victims. Unless you get to know the patient, you can't really assess their situation

For starters, many, including myself, have genetic predispositions for their body to store as much fat as they can. You eat less calories than your body needs?...your body just breaks down muscle or slows your metabolism. You work out to stop the muscle breakdown?...your body just goes to sleep...reluctantly sheds some fat...then gains it back with the smallest surplus. So yeah, pretty much for anyone who tells me it's a responsibility issue, I am going to return with a giant "fuck you"..."learn something before you run your fucking dumb mouth." But this is not just me. The modern medical establishment is now admitting they're clueless about obesity. Doctors are pretty useless until GLP-1 meds came around. Why?...primarily they thought it was just behavior. I already fast, workout an hour a day, eat nearly perfectly and even am very strict about portion controls and timing...which makes me chubby instead of really fat.

But enough about me. This is just like cancer. Reckless activity increases your chance of cancer. However, I have 2 friends who have died from lung cancer and neither smoked...nor lived in a smoking household....nor were exposed to chemicals. One was a lawyer, one was an accountant...both ran marathons and lived off salads...standard healthy office woman stuff. Genetics just suck sometimes. Same with colon cancer...happens to vegetarians too! However, we know a lot about cancer because doctors study it and take it seriously and know that it could happen to them.

Most doctors are the genetic elite. It's hard to become one (in the USA), so they tend to be the best and brightest of their class from privileged backgrounds. For them, a belly comes from bad lifestyle choices and it goes away once they act responsible. They see a 250lb person and they can only imagine the person is living off ice cream and beer. They give the same worthless advice: "have you tried exercise?...eating less?" They have been neglecting the needs of overweight patients and just sitting back and judging them and scolding them like they're children. Trust me, no fat person needs you to tell them that.

Every fat person, reckless or just genetically cursed, knows that in their 40s, their weight goes from a theoretical problem to a tangible one that WILL kill them. Nearly everyone I know starts getting their shit together in their 40s and 50s because the world is telling them "lose weight or you'll die a painful death." It's easier to quit smoking than for most people to lose weight...has anyone ever stopped to think how odd that is? Nearly everyone can quit smoking and anyone who wants to eventually does...the reverse is true for losing weight.

So take your childish oversimplification and go fuck off. I know it makes you better about yourself to shit on others, but if you're going to do so, c

[1]Read the rest of this comment...

[1] https://science.slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=23893052&cid=65927016

Re: (Score:2)

by null etc. ( 524767 )

Thank you for this breath of fresh air. I'm tired of hearing the simple refrain about "calories in vs. calories out".

Re: (Score:1)

by ArchieBunker ( 132337 )

You must be some miracle that defies physics. Outputting more energy than you consume.

Re: (Score:2)

by tragedy ( 27079 )

I think the point is that it is not as simple as just Calories in vs. Calories out and plenty of experimental evidence seems to prove it.

Re: (Score:2)

by tragedy ( 27079 )

That's a great quote about thermodynamics there. Did you notice the part at the end though about: "In an externally isolated system, with internal changes, the sum of all forms of energy is constant."

Re: (Score:1)

by ArchieBunker ( 132337 )

> Obesity is a complex multi-variable equation and no two bodies are the same. What works one year, can fail the next. The majority do get obese from making reckless choices, but many, myself included, have genetic predispositions that make it nearly impossible to lose weight and keep it off. My entire family is fat and nearly all eat responsibly.

It's a simple math problem. Burn more calories than you ingest. You'll lose weight.

Yeah and no one died of cancer either? (Score:2)

by Somervillain ( 4719341 )

> Yup, there were no fatsos in the concentration camps.

I am sure none of them died from cancer either...next are you going to tell me none of them had peanut allergies?...any more worthless WW2 comparisons?

Re: Yeah and no one died of cancer either? (Score:2)

by Viol8 ( 599362 )

Which part of his comparison confused you? The were no fat people in concentration camps because of the low or in some cases zero calorie diet. If people like you want to deny biological reality go ahead , but you're only fooling yourselves.

The burn rate is an adaptive moving target (Score:2)

by Somervillain ( 4719341 )

> It's a simple math problem. Burn more calories than you ingest. You'll lose weight.

It's anything but simple. If it was, there would be less fat people than smokers. The burn rate adapts to your behavior for many. It's easy to say at a distance. However, if it was your job to make a fat person lose weight, could you? It requires no more responsibility to quit an addictive DRUG, like nicotine or heroin or cocaine than it doesn't to eat less food. Most fatties have tried to lose weight, succeeded...because being fat sucks...and then gained it back, despite permanently changing their be

Re: (Score:2)

by stabiesoft ( 733417 )

I sympathize with your position. Genetics does play a major role. I knew a woman in the 70's who went so far as gastric bypass, which was quite new I think back then. She struggled. And unfortunately died way too young. I think in her late 40's. That said, in the US the majority is bad eating. Food is everywhere and most high calorie. Conversely, exercise is rare. So I see where some think it is all about bad eating. And your point about cancer is even more correct. Depending on the cancer, anywhere from 30

Re: (Score:2)

by fahrbot-bot ( 874524 )

> It's a simple math problem. Burn more calories than you ingest. You'll lose weight.

True, but it's how your body responds to that and what happens next that complicates things - as he pointed out in his post - and not body responds the same way.

Re: Do you also blame cancer victims? (Score:1)

by Baloroth ( 2370816 )

Nah, that's all bullshit. You know how I know? Aside from personal experience, biology, and physics? Statistics. Obesity in the US has **tripled** in the past 60 years. It used to be roughly 1 in 10, now it's more than 1 in 3. That's not genetics: genetics doesn't change like that. That's behavior. It's food becoming so cheap even some of the poorest people can be gluttons. It's sugar being added to bread. It's food crafted not to satiate, but to be consumed. It's ads for Froot Loops targeted at kids. Now,

Re: (Score:2)

by fluffernutter ( 1411889 )

But living in a food desert does. Having to work such long hours that you don't have time to shop for fresh ingredients and cook from scratch does.

Re: Do you also blame cancer victims? (Score:2)

by Viol8 ( 599362 )

What's hard about buying salad? Ifs cheap and in the next aisle. Stop making excuses.

Re: (Score:2)

by fluffernutter ( 1411889 )

Lettuce lasts, what, 4 days? If you want to eat salad every day you need to stop by the grocery store at least twice a week maybe three times. If the grocery store is not convenient to get to than that will be onerous. Also salad gets boring quickly. I ate it for lunch for a month once and then I was done. Getting different dressings doesn't cut it.

They didn't have junk food in 1966? (Score:2)

by Somervillain ( 4719341 )

> Nah, that's all bullshit. You know how I know? Aside from personal experience, biology, and physics? Statistics. Obesity in the US has **tripled** in the past 60 years. It used to be roughly 1 in 10, now it's more than 1 in 3. That's not genetics: genetics doesn't change like that. That's behavior. It's food becoming so cheap even some of the poorest people can be gluttons. It's sugar being added to bread. It's food crafted not to satiate, but to be consumed. It's ads for Froot Loops targeted at kids.

You're taking something complex and oversimplifying. They absolutely had sugar cereals ads in 1966. They had junk food and cheap food in 1966.

If I had to wager as to the cause, I'd weigh stress as the number one cause. I'd put healthier habits as the ironic cause as well. There were less fatties in 1966 because they smoked themselves to an early heart attack or got mortered at Normandy. People today are surviving challenges that would have killed them long ago. Logically, each generation has more c

Re: They didn't have junk food in 1966? (Score:1)

by Viol8 ( 599362 )

Stop making pathetic excuses, find what's left of your willpower and eat less. You're not a child.

Re: (Score:2)

by ffkom ( 3519199 )

> Nah, that's all bullshit. You know how I know? Aside from personal experience, biology, and physics? Statistics. Obesity in the US has **tripled** in the past 60 years. It used to be roughly 1 in 10, now it's more than 1 in 3. That's not genetics: genetics doesn't change like that. That's behavior.

It is not a contradiction to have both an increasing ratio of people that eat-to-much-and-move-too-little but also people who are genetically predisposed to easily gain weight. GLP-1 having an effect only while taken is probably bad news for both groups - and very good news for Pharma profits, so they probably already work on a successor that makes people regain their weight within one year of non-use.

Re: (Score:2)

by thegarbz ( 1787294 )

> So take your childish oversimplification and go fuck off.

While I am fully on board with what you've said, you somehow got offended while you decided to paint a profession with the same brush. You did exactly the thing you hate. You're not the first person to describe the genetics to me, that came from a doctor, so on their behalf you can take your childish oversim.... you know where I'm getting at.

It's not really a surprise (Score:5, Interesting)

by rsilvergun ( 571051 )

The goal of these kind of drugs isn't to be a long-term solution it's to get your weight down so that you can start exercising again which can be hard to do for a variety of reasons.

It becomes a death spiral. You get a few health problems that make it difficult to exercise and you start gaining weight because it's tough to cut back on the calories you're used to eating back when you were physically able to exercise.

From there the weight gain exasperates the problems you have and lather, rinse repeat.

Drugs like this can be useful for breaking that cycle. Something to remember is that when your body loses weight it keeps the fat cells around they're just smaller. Once you've gained weight like that your body is adapted to gain weight. When you lose it all your body really knows is that there was a huge calorie deficit at some point. And it's going to adapt to deal with that calorie deficit because it looks more like famine than healthy weight loss

Re: (Score:1)

by zaxbowow ( 1590757 )

Absolutely agree. See my post.

Re: (Score:2)

by dfghjk ( 711126 )

"...the problem is overeating."

Sometimes, not always. And exercise does matter, it's just not a primary difference maker.

"The goal of the drugs is to make money..."

Drugs don't have goals. It's easy to say inflammatory things when you don't any knowledge or skin in the game and can't be bothered to say what you really mean. Doctors certainly do care "what happens to people"..

Re: (Score:3)

by BeepBoopBeep ( 7930446 )

You are wrong, moving to a balanced diet: exercise converts fat to muscle, which is dense, you rarely loose that much "weight" but you will look tone. The mistake people make is they keep stepping on a scale when going through this process and think that weight is the key metric. Any fitness coach will tell you to stop stepping on the scale, look in the mirror, if you start looking "good" its working.

Re: (Score:3)

by nealric ( 3647765 )

It doesn't literally convert fat to muscle, but its true that strength training and muscle hypertrophy is a commonly overlooked aspect of exercise for people looking to lose weight. Most people (even fitness trainers) think that cardio is what burns calories and therefore the key to weight loss. The problem is that cardio doesn't do much to increase your lean muscle mass or change your basal metabolic rate. Also, few people have enough time in their day to burn serious calories through cardio on a consisten

Re: (Score:2)

by BeepBoopBeep ( 7930446 )

Im in the 40s, I run regularly during the summers, i like to run outside. During this winter, I picked up strength training + pilates as a new thing to pass the cold winter months (with real trainers) and shockingly my belly fat is disappearing with very little running on the treadmill. Proper strength training with as little as 1.5hrs/week when done right is super efficient in outcomes. I still watch the diet, but im always hungry (in a good way). Its a push and pull situation with cardio and strength,

Re: (Score:2)

by madbrain ( 11432 )

GLP-1 drugs are absolutely a long-term solution to lose weight and keep the weight off, if you take the drug long term.

I lost a lot of weight successfully before through a low-calorie, high protein diet, not through exercise - about 40 lbs, to get me back to healthy BMI. Most diets are not sustainable over the long term, unfortunately. Mine was no exception. Within 2 years, I regained all the weight. And 10 years later, an extra 10.

With the GLP-1 drugs, I lost 20 lbs in about 5 months. I have another 30 lbs

Re: It's not really a surprise (Score:1)

by flyingfsck ( 986395 )

You just need a gym or sport group with better looking ladies.

Re: It's not really a surprise (Score:2)

by madbrain ( 11432 )

That would not make any difference at all.

Re: (Score:2)

by swillden ( 191260 )

> You just need a gym or sport group with better looking ladies.

Look at madbrain's user ID. He joined slashdot 25 years ago, maybe a bit more. That means that he's probably in his 50s, maybe older. Odds are that he's married, settled and not really all that interested in meeting, or even spending a lot of time looking at ladies. I'm 56, and I can tell you the eye candy at a gym makes zero difference whatsoever. I'm not interested in them, and they're not interested in me. The only conversations we have are about who's going to use the equipment next.

Modern science doesn't understand metabolism. (Score:2)

by Somervillain ( 4719341 )

> The goal of these kind of drugs isn't to be a long-term solution it's to get your weight down so that you can start exercising again which can be hard to do for a variety of reasons. It becomes a death spiral. You get a few health problems that make it difficult to exercise and you start gaining weight because it's tough to cut back on the calories you're used to eating back when you were physically able to exercise. From there the weight gain exasperates the problems you have and lather, rinse repeat. Drugs like this can be useful for breaking that cycle. Something to remember is that when your body loses weight it keeps the fat cells around they're just smaller. Once you've gained weight like that your body is adapted to gain weight. When you lose it all your body really knows is that there was a huge calorie deficit at some point. And it's going to adapt to deal with that calorie deficit because it looks more like famine than healthy weight loss

Drugs like these are accidental discoveries. Scientists don't really fully understand metabolism and there are so many variables that are not understood. If you're genetically lucky?...you started skinny as a kid and got fat once you ate too much or got out of shape. For my entire family, they all start off chubby and their equilibrium weight is chubby...they get too reckless and get fat?...it's easy to get back to chubby...go nuts with diet and exercise?...any small slip and they go back to equilibrium.

Re: (Score:3)

by null etc. ( 524767 )

Gut bacteria plays a large and poorly understood factor of weight gain. There are plenty of anecdotes about people whose weight gain patterns changed dramatically after illness or medical treatments like fecal transplants, etc.

Re: (Score:2)

by Locke2005 ( 849178 )

The ORIGINAL goal of these drugs was to treat diabetes, which is does a great job of, with an unfortunate side effect of weight loss. But us diabetics intend to keep taking it for the rest of our lives, because it will make us live longer. And yes, weight loss makes you live longer.

Re: (Score:2)

by thegarbz ( 1787294 )

> The goal of these kind of drugs isn't to be a long-term solution

Someone should tell the people taking them. We've seen 10% of the population start taking the drug, not 10% of the population suddenly sign up for gym memberships.

Re: (Score:2)

by null etc. ( 524767 )

I'm glad I don't live in the same bizzaro universe that you do.

Hardly surprising (Score:2)

by JustNiz ( 692889 )

It's their lifestyle that made them obese in the first place. Much easier to just live in denial and keep taking a pill that damages your system than actually address the root causes.

Re: Hardly surprising (Score:2)

by dpille ( 547949 )

How else are you going to address a root cause if it's an outsize compulsion to eat?

I mean, I know nothing about your weight, but could you quantify for me how much mental effort is necessary to maintain that weight so that I can judge you? Judge you more accurately, that is.

Re: (Score:2)

by dfghjk ( 711126 )

False. People are obese for many different reasons, one thing they all have in common is not wanting to be obese.

"...keep taking a pill that damages your system ..."

What damage?

"...than actually address the root causes."

Which you clearly do not know, but you certainly feel superior about.

Re: (Score:2)

by null etc. ( 524767 )

That's a nice way to oversimplify a complex issue.

Re: (Score:2)

by akw0088 ( 7073305 )

Yes, and depressed people just need to smile more

treating the symptoms (Score:3)

by awwshit ( 6214476 )

You can treat the symptoms but you probably need to change your habits too.

Re: (Score:2)

by timeOday ( 582209 )

Is that how you feel about birth control too?

Re: (Score:2)

by swillden ( 191260 )

> You can treat the symptoms but you probably need to change your habits too.

Or just plan to stay on it long-term, probably at a reduced maintenance dose. That's what my doctor recommends. The good thing is that given how GLP-1 drugs work (just slightly increasing the supply of naturally-created compounds), there's not much reason to expect that it will do any harm to stay on them for decades. And there's obviously a lot of benefit to being thin.

But, yeah, people should also focus on eating better, and on getting into a workout regimen as soon as they've lost enough weight to m

In 10 years- (Score:1)

by bonedonut ( 4687707 )

Have you or anyone you know ever taken a GLP-1? If so, you may be entitled to compensation.

Re: In 10 years- (Score:2)

by tiananmen tank man ( 979067 )

10 years? things like ozempic are a recent thing.

Re: (Score:2)

by ambrandt12 ( 6486220 )

Check the Wiki... 2017.

Stuff like this helps control your appetite and all that, and leaves you with saggy arms like Fat Bastard in Austin Powers.

Common knowledge (Score:1)

by zaxbowow ( 1590757 )

Everyone knows that going off of GLPs results in rebound; this has been known for a long time, the article provides nothing new. But GLPs can facilitate other lifestyle changes, like diet and exercise. Even fasting. If one keeps those changes and then goes off of GLPs, the weight loss can be maintained, even continued. First hand knowledge.

Re: (Score:3)

by HiThere ( 15173 )

The article may show nothing new, but the study is important. The result of the study was not surprising, but it needed to be done.

IIUC, it was suggested in public by medical professionals over a year ago that GLP-1 antagonists were a temporary measure, and cessation would result in a rebound. But it needed to be proven. (It probably still needs more proof, but I haven't been following it, and I'm a programmer, not a biologist or a medic.)

Re: (Score:1, Informative)

by Anonymous Coward

I dropped 2 pounds a week banging your mom.

Re: (Score:2)

by ArchieBunker ( 132337 )

So exercise does work.

Re: (Score:2)

by dfghjk ( 711126 )

"The indulgent, heavy-eating, heavy-drinking lifestyle still remains once you go off the drug."

Please tell us all how ignorant you are. People taking these drugs, as a group, do NOT have heavy-eating, heavy-drinking lifestyles compared to the general population. You know who does? Young people.

"People who insist they gain weight even when dieting virtually always underestimate the calories they are taking in, barring serious health problems. "

Weight management is about a lot more than "calories taken in"

Re: (Score:2)

by HiThere ( 15173 )

Actually, it does change habits. It tends to remove obsessive thoughts about food. It tends to break the habits of what you eat and when.

But that's not sufficient. Those habits appeared because of some underlying reason, which hasn't been addressed. And we don't know what those underlying reasons are. Your assumption of what doesn't change is not found in the experimental studies or therelevant case histories I've read about. So something else is going on.

Re: (Score:2)

by HiThere ( 15173 )

I'm not certain, but how would you create those studies? First you need a theory to test against. E.g., why were those GLP-1 receptors under-stimulated? That would be an "underlying reason".

Actually, this is the kind of thing that can never really reach the bottom until you reduce it to quantum physics, but you may be able to reduce it to a higher layer than that which is still "almost universally true among chordates". But people prefer to use terms like "lazy" which are not well-defined, only analogic

"Many" (Score:2)

by greytree ( 7124971 )

So we can assess the problem, please let us know out of what number of people taking these drugs this is: "many" or "many, many" ?

Re: (Score:2)

by dfghjk ( 711126 )

A quick google showed this:

Diabetes: Over 40% of adults told they have diabetes have ever used GLP-1s, with usage highest in middle-aged adults (50-64).

Obesity/Overweight: About a quarter of adults told they are overweight or obese have used these drugs.

Heart Disease: Around a quarter of adults with heart disease have used GLP-1s.

This isn't the same as "are using", but it would suggest the answer is "many, many", particularly given that these drugs are fairly new

Depends on the cause (Score:2)

by Somervillain ( 4719341 )

> So we can assess the problem, please let us know out of what number of people taking these drugs this is: "many" or "many, many" ?

Consider this. Everyone knows reckless behavior causes weight gain. Most would rather cut the sweets and beer than inject themselves, by needle, with refrigerated drugs, so if the weight was caused by abject stupidity and you had the ability to not be stupid, you'd have already lost the weight. So GLP-1 patients are probably not the easiest patients to begin with.

OK, so let's assume everyone taking them doesn't have the ability to easily lose weight without them. That leaves 3 groups:

1. those with

Is this not common knowledge? (Score:3)

by The-Ixian ( 168184 )

Everything that I have heard and read about GLP-1 drugs, this fact is among the first that people point out.

The point is getting a positive feedback loop started.

No shitake Sherlock (Score:1)

by DatbeDank ( 4580343 )

GLP1 drugs are amazing miracle drugs on the 21st century but they aren't magic. All they do is tell the body to lower its weight set point.

If your TDEE is 1500 calories and you use glp1 agonists to lose weight, then you HAVE to keep waiting at 1500 calories. If you instantly to back to eating 3k calories a day then yes you will get fat.

This isn't rocket science and the problems with normies is they are their own worst enemies. If you want to eat more, you need to increase the calories OUT side of CICO which

Shocking, you mean being lazy isn't a solution? (Score:2)

by Murdoch5 ( 1563847 )

I hate GLP drugs, they're "solving" issues by ignoring issues, Some people really need them, I won't deny that, but the amount of off label use is ridiculous. If you couldn't drop the weight without the GLP-1, then you go off it, why would the weight stay off, being you made no changes?

The number of people I know on GLP-1, is stupid. In one case, literally one, is the person diabetic, and using it on label, so let's ignore him. All the other people found a doctor off Facebook, got diagnosed pre-diabet

Re: (Score:2)

by Dixie_Flatline ( 5077 )

This is overly reductive.

I was an amateur competitive cyclist and swimmer for years and years. It left me with an eating disorder and body dysmorphia for a long time, because I DO happen to be good at dieting and eating less. I don't actually recommend it to people, honestly.

But many people have something called 'food noise'. When they're not eating, they're always thinking about food. GLP-1 cuts the food noise down considerably. I have a friend who's never been fat, but she's microdosing GLP-1 because it h

Re: (Score:2)

by Murdoch5 ( 1563847 )

It's the overuse of it that I'm pointing out, as I said some people do need it, and there's no problem with that. It's the people who are on it, but shouldn't be that are the issue, for instance the people who think pasta covered in thick sugar sauce, paired with a salad, covered in sugar dressing, that complain they can't lose weight. The people who think a productive workout session is 10 minutes of cardio and 25 minutes of stretching, then complain they tried tirelessly to work out, haven given a great

course, that doesn't result in infinite money (Score:1)

by invisiblefireball ( 10371234 )

locking in genetic changes is not difficult. viruses do it all the time and we know exactly how to use them to do it ourselves.

Wow, who coulda seen that coming (Score:2)

by JustAnotherOldGuy ( 4145623 )

Wow, who coulda seen that coming? I mean seriously- you're telling me that people who lose a lot of weight quickly -regardless of cause- tend to gain it back?

Truly earth-shattering news.

The secret that let me lose ~45 lbs (Score:2)

by JustAnotherOldGuy ( 4145623 )

The secret that let me lose ~45 lbs is that I ate less and exercised a little bit. Not a lot of exercise, mostly just walking.

It took over a year but the weight has stayed off for 5 or more years now.

Just promise me that you won't tell anyone this secret, okay? It's crazy but it works.

Figures from the journal article (Score:2)

by edi_guy ( 2225738 )

"Weight regain was faster after WMM [GLP-1] than after BWMP [behavioral changes] (by 0.3 kg (0.22 to 0.34) monthly)"

[1]https://www.bmj.com/content/39... [bmj.com]

Reading between the lines, keeping weight off is difficult. You are either on Ozempic for the rest of your life, or paying close attention to what you eat for the rest of your life.

[1] https://www.bmj.com/content/392/bmj-2025-085304

Re: (Score:2)

by timeOday ( 582209 )

The statistic about weight regain is just borderline academic dishonesty in my opinion.

Pick 100 people and prescribe just behavioral changes. Say 10 of them lose weight, an average of 10 lbs for a short while and then regain it at an average of 1 lb per week until they're back where they started.

Also pick 100 people and prescribe GLP1. 80 of them lose weight, an average of 30 pounds for as long as they stay on it. After a few years you take some people off to see what happens and they regain 2 lb per

It's a chronic disease like high blood pressure (Score:1)

by jslaff ( 881873 )

I was dealt a pretty poor genetic hand. My brother, my father and his father all died of heart attacks at age 60. They were all grossly overweight with uncontrolled high blood pressure. (Luckily, there is absolutely no cancer anywhere, but possibly all the men died before they could get it.) I was kinda overweight, and Covid didn't help. I had been on blood pressure meds for a while, and my readings were good, but I had gained weight over Covid, and even though I exercised and watched what I ate, I had ball

When the speaker and he to whom he is speaks do not understand, that is
metaphysics.
-- Voltaire