Weight Returns Within Two Years After Stopping Weight-Loss Jabs, Major Study Finds

People who stop using weight-loss injections regain the weight they lost in under two years, according to a major new analysis. The study, led by researchers at the University of Oxford and published in the BMJ, reviewed 37 studies involving more than 9,000 participants using GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. On average, people regained weight at a rate of 0.4kg per month after stopping treatment, returning to their original weight within about 1.7 years. This rebound was almost four times faster than in people who lost weight through behavioural programmes such as diet and exercise. Researchers also found that improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol reversed within around 1.4 years. Experts stressed this reflects obesity being a chronic condition rather than a failure of the drugs. Organisations including Diabetes UK and the NHS said the findings highlight the need for long-term lifestyle support alongside medication to sustain health benefits.