GLP-1s have been hailed as miracle drugs for their effectiveness in weight loss, but users are likely to experience rapid weight regain once they stop taking them, according to a new study by University of Oxford’s Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences.
Weight regain is only part of the problem. Metabolic and heart health benefits associated with GLP-1s – such as reducing high blood pressure and high cholesterol – also reverse once patients discontinue the drugs, according to the report, which was published in peer-reviewed medical journal The BMJ.
This study underlines that GLP‑1s are not a permanent fix, which has big implications for how food and beverage companies think about innovation and positioning.
Once users come off the drugs, both weight and cardiometabolic risk factors tend to drift back toward baseline, which suggests a growing need for everyday foods that help maintain satiety and better metabolic control on fewer calories, rather than just diet branding.
For manufacturers, that points to several opportunity lanes: more portion‑controlled, nutrient‑dense formats that make it easier to stick with smaller servings.
No silver bullet
The study pooled data from 37 randomized and observational studies including 9,341 adults treated with weight loss medications, such as GLP-1 drugs, for at least eight weeks.
Researchers then tracked how much weight people regained, and how their heart and metabolic health measures changed, in the months after they stopped taking the medication, compared with people on placebo or lifestyle programs.
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GLP-1s linked to cases of illness and death
GLP-1 drugs have been linked to a spate of illnesses in the UK. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has suggested that several cases of acute pancreatitis (inflamed pancreas) may be linked to the drugs. Many patients have been hospitalised from this illness.
The study found that users gained an average 0.4 kg (just under a pound) per month after ending the treatments. Weight and risk markers associated with diabetes and heart disease returned to the pre-treatment levels in under two years, according to the report.
That weight gain came at a rate almost four times faster than that experienced after discontinuing behavioral weight management program.
“The evidence suggests that despite their success in achieving initial weight loss, these drugs alone may not be sufficient for long-term weight control,” according to the study’s authors.
Consumers will need accessible, everyday tools to help preserve healthier habits, including nutrient-dense, portion-aware products, retail environments that cue healthier choices, and digital or community-based supports that can extend the benefits of lifestyle change well beyond the prescription window.
Forever drugs for weight loss?
The study noted that roughly half of GLP-1 users discontinue the drug within a year, highlighting the need for more research on how health is impacted by getting off GLP-1s.
Upon discontinuation of GLP-1s, the average user returned to their pre-treatment weight by 1.7 years, while cardiometabolic risks returned after 1.4 years.
“Monthly weight regain was also faster after weight loss drugs than after behavioral weight management programs (by 0.3 kg), independent of initial weight loss,” the study found.
This discovery “cautions against short-term use of weight management medications.”
More research needed
While the findings pose new considerations concerning the drugs’ long-term efficacy, even short-term weight loss can be beneficial, according to Qi Sun, associate professor of medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and associate professor in the Departments of Nutrition and Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
Global GLP-1 disruption
Weight-loss jabs are taking the world by storm, reshaping everything from consumer habits to product innovation. Their impact is being felt across regions and categories, but the effect in one sector isn't always mirrored in another.
From soft drinks to alcohol, confectionery to snacks, we dissect the disruption and ask what's next.
Join us for the conversation on Feb. 5, 2026, 9:00 local (GMT-6)
Sun authored an essay on the study, arguing that while GLP-1 agonists “should not be relied on as a magic cure for treating obesity,” the drugs can have beneficial results for users.
“Even though the lifestyle intervention group eventually regained weight, the cumulative incidence of developing diabetes was lower in the lifestyle intervention group compared with placebo group,” Sun wrote. “In observational studies, individuals with obesity who intentionally lost ≥4.5 kg of body weight through various strategies, ranging from dietary modifications to commercial weight loss programs, had a statistically significantly lower incidence of diabetes than their counterparts without weight loss attempts.”
Sun added that GLP-1 users should be aware of the consequences of cessation.
Sun said that the foundation for obesity treatment should focus on healthy dietary and lifestyle practices. Medications such as GLP-1 receptor agonists, he wrote, should be “used as adjuncts.”
“Such practices not only help prevent excess weight gain but can also lead to numerous health benefits that go beyond weight control,” he wrote. “Effective public health measures, such as taxation on sugary beverages, clear food labeling and subsidies for fresh fruit and vegetables, should be in place to facilitate the adherence and improvement of diet quality.”
