Diet May Help Reduce Weight Regain After GLP-1 Treatment

A study of GLP-1 users found that people who ate medically tailored meals regained less weight than others

GLP-1 weight regain and diet: key points

• Many GLP-1 users have trouble keeping weight off after treatment ends
• Medically tailored meals were linked with less weight regain than in the control group
• Digital wellness apps also helped limit regain during the study period
• The control group regained 10.75% of body weight over four months
• The findings point to a potential role for food-based support after GLP-1 use

One of the biggest challenges for people who use GLP-1 drugs is keeping the weight off after they stop taking them.

Some food companies see that need as the next major opportunity in GLP-1-related innovation. Companies such as Nestlé are working on products intended to help users maintain their weight loss.

A pilot study published in Obesity Science & Practice examines interventions that may help prevent people from regaining weight after using GLP-1s.

The research found that medically tailored meals and digital wellness applications could help users preserve some of the weight they lost on the drugs.

Interventions may help limit regain

The study followed 39 participants who had lost weight through GLP-1 use. After they stopped taking the drugs, researchers measured how much weight they regained over a four-month period and compared several interventions.

Participants were divided into three groups: one received a digital wellness app, another received medically tailored meals, and a third served as the control group.

Medically tailored meals are nutrient-rich meals planned by dietitians to improve access to nutrients and reduce the burden of meal preparation. They are usually used for people with chronic illness. In this study, participants could choose meals they preferred, but all of the meals contained fewer calories, less saturated fat, and similar or lower sugar levels than standard prepared meals.

The digital wellness group used Noom, an app that applies behavioural science to create a personalised weight-management plan.

Researchers found that people eating medically tailored meals regained an estimated 3.58% of their body weight, while those using the digital wellness app regained 3.6%. By comparison, the control group regained 10.75%.

On a monthly basis, the wellness app group gained 0.42%, the medically tailored meal group gained 0.61%, and the control group gained an estimated 2.94%.

Because the study was a pilot, further research is needed.

The work was also limited by its short duration, and it remains unclear whether weight regain would stay this low over a full year rather than four months.

Why the findings matter for industry

The study’s main takeaway is that diet may help consumers reduce weight regain after stopping GLP-1s.

That is notable because food does not affect satiety as powerfully as GLP-1 drugs. The medications stimulate GLP-1 receptors more directly and therefore have a stronger effect on fullness and greater access to brain receptors.

The food industry is already developing products for people who stop using GLP-1 drugs. Nestlé, for example, is developing proprietary ingredient combinations aimed at helping users keep the weight off.

Medically tailored meals are quite different from those products. They are designed as a health intervention by medical professionals and typically rely on carefully selected combinations of foods rather than a single ingredient.

Still, the study suggests that well-designed dietary interventions can help people who stop taking GLP-1s avoid regaining weight.

If meals designed in the right way can reduce regain as the study indicates, food makers could play an important role in the GLP-1 user journey.