Ozempic Helps People Drop Pounds Fast—But Most Regain It Within a Year, Study Finds

Our country is obsessed with weight loss. From marathon gym sessions and trendy detox teas to the latest GLP-1 injections, people will try just about anything to get lean. But ask any legit health expert and they’ll tell you the truth: There’s no shortcut to losing weight. The only real way to drop pounds—and keep them off—is by overhauling your lifestyle, dialing in your diet, or remaining on weight-loss medications long-term. 

That truth was just reinforced by new research out of the University of Oxford, which found that while drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic can help people shed pounds initially, most return to their original weight after stopping them—a now-common phenomenon dubbed “Ozempic rebound.”

The analysis of 11 studies, which was recently presented at the European Congress on Obesity, found that even patients on high doses of common weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Mounjaro regained weight after stopping treatment. 

On average, users taking these medications lost a little over 30 pounds initially, but within a year of going off the drugs, they regained it all back. 

This isn't the first time research has suggested patients can regain the weight they've lost from GLP-1s. A clinical trial from 2022 revealed that people regained more than half of the weight they had lost a year after ceasing to take semaglutide, the generic name for Ozempic and Wegovy. 

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"One year after withdrawal of once‐weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg and lifestyle intervention, participants regained two‐thirds of their prior weight loss, with similar changes in cardiometabolic variables," researchers wrote in the study. "Findings confirm the chronicity of obesity and suggest ongoing treatment is required to maintain improvements in weight and health." 

With more than 15 million Americans now taking semaglutide drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy, their popularity is raising serious questions among researchers. One pressing question: Can these medications be helpful if not taken long-term?

According to Professor Susan Jebb, co-author of the study and an expert in diet and population health at the University of Oxford, semaglutide isn't a cure-all, especially for people struggling with food addiction or poor impulse control. The drug works by suppressing appetite, so when folks stop taking it, their normal appetite returns. 

Another big question: How long is it safe to stay on these drugs? Originally designed for people with type 2 diabetes to take long-term, GLP-1s are now being prescribed for weight loss, with many providers recommending at least 12 to 24 months of use. But some experts suggest it may need to be a lifetime commitment.

“Either people really have to accept this as a treatment for life, or we in science need to think really, really hard, how to support people when they stop the drug," Jebb told The Guardian.

The bottom line? It's important to note that semaglutide may not be the quick fix people believe it is. If you're using it for weight loss, it's important to make the necessary lifestyle changes to keep the weight off, and talk to your doctor about potentially taking the medication long-term.