- Drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy eventually reach a weight loss plateau, beyond which further weight loss slows or stops.
- Like any other healthy weight loss method, the body eventually settles at an appropriate weight, which may or may not correspond with that person’s weight loss goals.
- GLP-1 medications require a lifelong commitment if one hopes to avoid regaining lost weight, which can be expected when one stops taking them.
For many people who have struggled with losing weight, semaglutide-based diabetes drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy have offered a different approach to weight loss. The medications can result in a 10% to 15%, or greater, reduction in weight, though the use of Ozempic is not approved for weight loss by the Federal Drug Administration in the U.S.
However, after a certain point, semaglutide medications stop helping one shed pounds. At this plateau, no further weight is lost unless something meaningful changes.
This typically means switching to a stronger medication or making dietary or exercise changes, although these measures do not always resolve the plateau.
Such drugs mimic a naturally occurring hormone that provides the brain with a sensation of feeling full and slows down digestion, causing food to leave the body more slowly.
When a person stops taking semaglutide, lost weight returns. To avoid this, the medication is taken for the rest of one’s life.
Such plateaus are common, said Dr. Mir Ali, medical director at the MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center.
“The studies I’ve seen say that patients tend to plateau with semaglutide at 60 weeks. So it’s over a year, which is pretty good,” said Dr. Ali.
Indeed, many people find that a weight loss method of any kind may stop working after a while. This is true for conventional diets, exercise regimens, and so on.
“The plateaus tend to happen after the patient loses a significant amount of weight and is getting closer to a healthy weight,” Dr. Ali said. “The body is tending to hold…
Read the full article here