While Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications have shown notable promise in returning patients to healthy weights, the majority of those taking the drugs are not confident they can maintain the improvement after ending treatment, according to a new report.
In a study of 500 patients by weight loss management service platform Levity, only two in five taking GLP-1 medication were confident they would maintain their weight loss after stopping the medication.
But in the report, there were obvious pros to the treatment. Roughly 75 percent of people taking GLP-1 medications reported improved physical health, 68 percent felt more confident and 56 percent said their mental health improved.
But there were downsides to taking the medication as well. Half of those on GLP-1 treatments said they felt judged or shamed for using weight loss drugs, with women significantly more likely to feel this way, at 66 percent, compared to 32 percent of men.
Ena Cardona-Mason, a Utah-based licensed family nurse practitioner and owner of The Holistic Approach for Women, said she's witnessed many patients hoping for a miracle weight loss fix by using Ozempic, which was originally developed for managing type 2 diabetes.
According to Cardona-Mason, the concerns of patients relying on these drugs are realistic, as many regain the weight once ending medication.
A 2022 study discovered that after a year of ending Ozempic, the average person had regained two-thirds of the weight they originally lost.
"It's true that Ozempic effectively aids weight loss by regulating appetite and slowing digestion, but studies show most people regain lost weight within a year without significant lifestyle changes," Cardona-Mason told Newsweek.
The weight regain usually occurs because Ozempic mimics GLP-1, a hormone that reduces hunger. When discontinued, appetite and previous habits often return, and some patients also develop metabolic adaptation, a slowed metabolism after weight loss.
"Without continued medication or significant lifestyle interventions, the body's natural tendency is to regain weight," Cardona-Mason added. "While Ozempic can jump-start weight loss, long-term maintenance requires sustained lifestyle changes."
Benjamin Reiner, research assistant professor in the psychiatric department at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, echoed this sentiment.
Reiner said research suggests that people taking the drugs should be concerned about not only losing weight but also maintaining that weight once the drugs stop.
"Something people should know about taking Ozempic, or similar medications, is that they need to make a plan for after they discontinue treatment," Reiner told Newsweek. "If an individual loses weight, but after ending treatment returns to the same diet and exercise patterns that initially lead to their obesogenic state, then they are likely to regain the weight, with some individuals actually weighing more than they did before they initially started treatment."
Instead of seeing it as a cure, Cardona-Mason said, Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications should be used alongside dietary improvements and increased physical activity.
Patients on Ozempic should also avoid abrupt stoppage of the medication, as tapering off under medical supervision is often the recommended course.
"Weight maintenance is a lifelong journey," Cardona-Mason said. "Address the root cause of weight gain—poor diet, stress, sleep issues—and build sustainable habits. This approach will always be more effective than relying solely on medications."
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