People Who Go Off GLP-1s Are Experiencing a Sudden and Terrible Hunger

"Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist drugs, like the popular weight-loss jabs Wegovy and Ozempic, have proven to be immensely effective. Beyond allowing patients to significantly reduce their weight, they've been shown to have a constellation of other health benefits, like lowering the risk of heart disease and staving off diabetic kidney disease, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's. But the harsh reality of what happens when monthly injections stop is raising a grim wrinkle:"

"A new study led by researchers at the University of Oxford, which reviewed 37 existing weight loss medication studies involving over 9,000 participants, has found that patients who stopped taking GLP-1 weight-loss medications regained weight four times as fast as those who used alternative behavioral programs, like diets and physical activity. On average, participants returned to their original weight just 1.7 years after stopping the medication."

"Patients who went off the drugs told the BBC last month that the hunger came roaring back. "It was like something opened up in my mind and said: 'Eat everything, go on, you deserve it because you haven't eaten anything for so long,'" Tanya Hall, who has been on and off GLP-1 injections, told the broadcaster at the time, adding that she felt "completely horrified" by the amount of food she was consuming after just a couple of days."

GLP-1 receptor agonists produce substantial weight loss and improve cardiometabolic markers and risks for conditions like heart disease, diabetic kidney disease, Parkinson's, and Alzheimer's. A review of 37 weight-loss medication studies involving over 9,000 participants found that cessation of GLP-1 medications led to weight regain four times faster than behavioral programs, with average return to baseline weight in 1.7 years. Secondary benefits such as lower blood pressure and cholesterol also reversed, typically within 1.4 years. Patients report intense returning hunger within days of stopping, raising concerns about long-term dependence and the financial and health implications of stopping therapy.

Read at Futurism