Is it the begining of the end for Weight loss injections?

True cynicism involves acknowledging that Big Pharma also does very well out of obese people staying obese. Anyone who meets the prescription criteria to start WLI is likely to be fertile territory for the likes of Eli Lilly over their lifetime.

@Somersetbaker but how would it even be possible to create a medication that continues to work when you stop taking it? Unless it's something like gene therapy that makes a permanent change to your DNA.

The aim was to produce a medication that generates significant weight loss (more than 5% of starting weight) without harmful side effects. That's what has been achieved.

Maybe I'm being cynical, but there is no commercial advantage to the manufactures in producing a product that you use for a finite period and never again. Take WLI lose weight, stop or reduce WLI gain weight so start again, exactly the same model as slimfast, weight watchers etc, it's not in their interest for it to be totally successful, maybe a few headline cases for publicity purposes, but in general they want the repeat business.

@Passingthrough123 the study is based on extrapolations from evidence of other studies! It is not the presentation of dogmatic facts but more of a discussion paper.

Researchers behind the paper, published in the BMJ late on Wednesday, analysed data from more than 9,000 people from 37 studies that examined the effects of ceasing the drugs. On average, the participants took the medicines for 39 weeks and provided follow-up data for 32. The scientists extrapolated from the studies to forecast what would have happened after a further lapse of time.

The scientists acknowledged limitations in their work including that almost a third of the trials they surveyed had a high risk of bias. The populations in the drug and behavioural treatment programmes might have differed in potentially important ways, such as the degree of obesity and incidence of comorbidities, they added.

There's also no mention of whether any of the trials studied involved tapering down

Id like to know this too - whether they just went cold turkey or slowly reduced dose. I think there will be a difference in real life use compared to participants in a clinical study. Especially where people have paid a lot of their own money and are thus financially as well as psychologically invested in their weight loss, there will be a longer period of low dose maintenance.

Having read both The Guardian and the BBC article about that "new" study. Let's be clear, it's not a new, recent trial. It's a study collating weight regain data from 37 previous trials of WLI of which only 8 are the most recent ie mounjaro and wegovy.

From the BBC article:

The researchers looked at 37 studies with over 9,000 patients to compare the blockbuster weight-loss jabs with conventional dieting or other pills.
Only eight of the studies assessed treatment with the newer GLP-1 drugs, such as Wegovy and Mounjaro, and the maximum follow-up period in these studies was a year after medication stopped, so the figures are an estimate.

There's also no mention of whether any of the trials studied involved tapering down.

Have you actually read that Guardian article? The research was carried out by by academics at the University of Oxford and has been published in the BMJ. But I'm guessing you know better than them?

My GP said to me the other day that she has seen in a few patients the good that they have done and she really wished she could prescribe it to more.

Oh fgs. Why don’t people actually READ the research themselves instead of taking every bit of whatever FB/newspaper/my friend down the fishmarket has to say as gospel and forming a highly uneducated opinion!?
I’ve read the papers for myself. I’ve also lost 9 stone on MJ and my health is dramatically better for it! I swear some people would be happier I was still 23 stone and at risk of all sorts of diseases and definitely an early death instead of ‘cheating’ and actually being fit and health (and yes - I run regularly, my diet is excellent and I don’t live on 1000kcals a day!!).
it isn’t insulin (worrying comment, that one…!) it isn’t a new drug (it’s been around for bloody years!) and actually percentage wise the amount of people who have bad experiences with them is far, far less than those who take paracetamol or ibuprofen! The risk comes with the individual - those idiots who will lie to get them prescribed.

I think if you want to stop taking them you’d have to be committed to a lifestyle change, eg move to whole-foods, lifting weights and also more cardio, enough protein etc. I think if taking to eat less of a not very healthy diet, then as soon as you stop hunger will be back and weight will go back on.

In today’s Guardian and currently being discussed on Sky News. Landmark study of nearly 10k users finds weight regain is four times faster after stopping jabs than on trad diets, so conclusion is they will have to be taken for life.

Fine if you can afford it but question remains over cost - will Big Pharma be on board with making them affordable for everyone even when the patents run out and they can be produced cheaper? Because the knock on effect will be people needing less meds for blood pressure and other conditions, so Big Pharma will be thinking about its profit margins first and foremost and I wouldn’t be surprised if they collude to keep prices fairly high.

www.theguardian.com/society/2026/jan/07/weight-loss-jabs-regain-two-years-health-study

my perioral dermatitis I've had flaring up at regular intervals since I was a teenager has disappeared since I started mounjaro. This frees up some dermatologist appointments.

Yes, now my BMI is 21/22 I no longer need my regular cholesterol blood tests, thus freeing up those appointments at my GP surgery for others to use. Also creates more lab time etc.

Both of DH's golf buddies who are on WLI are no longer on their BP and cholesterol medications, again freeing up their associated GP appointments for others.

My friend has fibromyalgia and is thrilled that losing 4st on WLI has seen a significant reduction in her symptoms. She has fewer GP appointments and is now able to return to her part time job which she loved.

Okay, so a relatively tiny snap shot of the wonders of WLI, but still significant steps in the right direction.

And let's face it, no one will be out of a job, imagine all those people who won't need emergency surgeries so the people waiting years for life changing operations could be seen sooner, the list of people will never end but people like my son at age 14 potentially would not have had to wait for orthopedic surgery for 2 years, whilst basically missing out on those important teen years not being able to play any sport or join in with his mates playing in the park etc. I know its not quite as basic as that but it could change things for the better quite significantly.

Makes a lot of sense.

All my friends who are doctors have said the same, they have said so many issues would be resolved if people were closer to a healthy BMI that they could actually see the patients they need to or treat their current ones better.

A friend of mine is pretty overweight and has sleep apnea amongst other things, she isnt high enough to qualify for NHS but all her weight is round her tummy/chest so it would help her massively to lose weight. She cannot afford it privately.

She’s being asked about people getting round the rules. And if she’s just doing it as a “lifestyle choice”. She’s pointed out she’s done every diet, never lost this much weight, and it’s basically a miracle. And will save NHS billions.

Carolyn Harris labour MP wants the BMI lowered. People hampered by weight waiting for operations should get it. She’s on a maintenance dose and pays privately.

Oh good they’re talking about it now on good morning Britain. Woman pointing out how useless women’s health research is.

Well yes. They've transformed my life. I'm so very grateful for them and the fact they've made a reality something that was beyond my ability without them. In the same way I'm grateful for hrt, antibiotics and vaccines and will defend my use of them whilst respecting other's choices not to.

Hardly criticism in this thread. Most comments I’ve seen here are positively evangelical about WLI. There will be side effects no doubt but there are also side effects from crazy diets and remaining significantly overweight so you takes your chances.

And this, of course, is why the best option is to poke stupid with a stick. Make them seethe.

It's only baffling if you assume, quite naturally, that these posters are genuinely caring, concerned people.

But they're not. In reality, they're actually just embittered and resentful that life changing weight loss is now achievable for millions of people. There's also their added envy that there are people who can easily afford WLIs and intend staying on them long term. It's not fair!

Stay on these threads long enough and invariably these bitter people reveal their true colours. Their faux concerns degenerate into spiteful sneering and insults.

We. See. You.

You make a good point!

It's not at all baffling if you bear in mind the concerns aren't really about obese people's health. They make perfect sense when considered in the context of worry from others about the relative loss of position in the hierarchy.