What Occurs When you Stop Taking Medication for Weight Loss?

Cutting-edge medications for obesity such as injectable liraglutide, marketed as Saxenda, produce notable outcomes within the initial year. Recent studies investigate the sustainability of these results post-treatment cessation.

Recently, there has been a rapid surge in popularity for the latest class of weight-loss medications. Initially developed as the antidiabetic medication Ozempic, semaglutide garnered global attention due to its potent additional benefit. Under the new name Wegovy, it swiftly emerged as the most successful weight loss drug to date.

Semaglutide received FDA approval for weight management in 2021, though it wasn’t the first GLP-1 drug to gain this approval; that distinction belonged to liraglutide (Saxenda) in 2014. However, semaglutide captured significant public attention, especially after some celebrities disclosed their use of it, leading to global shortages of Wegovy and propelling its manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, to a valuation of US$500 billion.

Reevaluating the Role of Exercise in GLP-1 Weight Loss Medication

Clinical trials validate the impressive weight-loss efficacy of GLP-1 drugs, contributing to their popularity. Yet, questions arise regarding whether the hype surrounding them aligns with clinical outcomes. Both semaglutide and liraglutide received FDA approval for use alongside a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity. However, there’s little research on how many users adhere to this approved usage of GLP-1 drugs. It’s improbable that all users have altered their diet and exercise habits accordingly. Now, a few years later, researchers are revisiting the importance of exercise in conjunction with GLP-1 medications in maintaining weight loss.

Novo Nordisk-sponsored Semaglutide Treatment Effect in People with Obesity (STEP) trials examined semaglutide’s efficacy as a weight-loss drug. STEP 1, published in 2021, showed that weekly semaglutide alongside “lifestyle intervention” (diet and exercise) led to a sustained, clinically significant weight reduction. However, a subsequent study, an extension of STEP 1, funded by Novo Nordisk, revealed that participants regained two-thirds of their lost weight within a year after treatment and lifestyle interventions ceased.

In a recent University of Copenhagen-led study published in eClinical Medicine, researchers enrolled 109 adults with obesity, inducing weight loss through an eight-week low-calorie diet. Participants were then assigned to one of four groups: supervised exercise only, liraglutide alone, liraglutide combined with exercise, or placebo.

Long-Term Effects of Liraglutide-Exercise Combination on Weight Maintenance

A year after discontinuing the liraglutide-exercise combination, participants maintained reduced body weight and fat percentage compared to those discontinuing liraglutide alone. Those on the combined treatment sustained at least a 10% weight loss compared to those on liraglutide alone or placebo. Interestingly, those only engaging in exercise, without liraglutide, also maintained a 10% weight loss compared to placebo. Notably, participants receiving liraglutide alone regained 13 lbs/6.0 kg more weight after a year than those receiving exercise alone, despite similar initial weight loss. The study received partial funding from Novo Nordisk.

Signe Sørensen Torekov, the study’s lead author, notes that individuals incorporating an exercise routine, with or without obesity drug treatment, reported reduced fatigue, increased energy, and enhanced mental well-being, resulting in an overall improved quality of life. Conversely, those solely on medical treatment reported heightened fatigue and reduced energy levels.

This study highlights the ongoing challenge of maintaining long-term adherence to weight loss treatment, emphasizing the importance of exercise for sustained weight loss. However, there is debate over whether the ‘quick-fix‘ approach of GLP-1 weight loss drugs could be surpassed by dietary changes and regular exercise, albeit with slower outcomes.

The evolving landscape of weight loss treatment sees the FDA’s approval of Zepbound (tirzepatide) in late 2023, offering potential weight loss of up to 50 lbs/23 kg and adding to the range of GLP-1 anti-obesity medications. Yet, the history of diet drugs reveals challenges, with many past medications banned due to adverse effects such as cardiovascular issues or increased suicide risk. The future of these new diet drugs remains uncertain, with their efficacy and longevity to be determined over time.

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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