Doctors talk about functional dependence and the need for long-term therapy

Many people who have successfully lost weight with Ozempic and similar drugs from the group of GLP-1 agonists (such as Wegovy and Mounjaro) are facing a serious challenge as soon as they stop the therapy.

The feeling of hunger returns, often even stronger than before and with it, the lost kilograms. This phenomenon has raised concerns that some patients may develop long-term functional dependence on these increasingly popular weight loss injections, Futurism reports.

One of them is Tanja Hall, Wegovy user, who admits that she does not dare to stop the therapy.

“For the first 38 years of my life I was obese, while now I am 38 kilograms less,” she declared. “For this reason, part of me feels like there is an addiction to continuing therapy, because it gives me a sense of control.”

Such experiences are also supported by clinical studies, which show that after stopping therapy, most patients regain a large part of the lost weight. This has led many health experts to consider obesity as a chronic disease, which, like hypertension or diabetes, may require long-term or permanent treatment. Oprah Winfrey agrees with this approach, who last month told People magazine that she plans to continue therapy indefinitely. “This will be something for life,” she said. “Just as I take high blood pressure drugs, if I stop them, the pressure rises again, now I understand that the same applies to these drugs. I tried them and realized that I need them.”

According to data from clinical studies of the manufacturer Novo Nordisk, patients who stop Ozempic regain on average about two-thirds of the lost weight.

Doctor Hussein Al-Zubeidi has confirmed this trend for the BBC, emphasizing that in practice his has seen patients who have regained 60 to 80 percent of the pounds they lost.

Although the situation may seem depressing, dr. Al-Zubeidi points out that all is not lost. The key, according to him, is for patients to have an “exit strategy” – that is, to start building healthy lifestyle habits while they are still in therapy.

balanced and stable nutrition,

A positive example is Ellen Ogli, who told the BBC that she had lost about 22 kilograms with the help of Mounjaro, a drug produced by Eli Lilly. During therapy, she changed her diet and included regular physical activity in her daily routine.

Thanks to these changes, she managed to maintain her new weight even after stopping the injections. “I want people to know that life after Mounjaro can be sustainable,” she emphasizes.

Drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are changing the approach to obesity treatment, but experts warn that without lifestyle changes, their effects are temporary. Pharmacological therapy can be a powerful tool, but not a substitute for long-term healthy habits.

Source: prizrenpost