Two Approaches May Help Curb Weight Regain After GLP-1 Treatment

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What is the best way to prevent weight from rising again after stopping a GLP-1 medication?

A study in Obesity Science & Practice looked at that question.

The pilot trial involved 39 adults who had lost weight while taking GLP-1s and were ending treatment.

Researchers split the participants into three groups. One received standard care, with nutrition, exercise, or lifestyle counseling determined by a medical provider. A second group used the Noom app, which provides behavior-based weight management tools such as diet, exercise, and weight tracking. The third group received medically tailored meals delivered to their homes.

The participants' weight was monitored for four months with Bluetooth scales.

By the end of the study period, the usual-care group had regained an estimated 10.75% of body weight, compared with 3.6% in the app group and 3.58% in the medically tailored meal group.

The results indicate that structured support may help slow early weight regain after GLP-1 treatment ends.

"People invest significant time and effort in improving their health and achieving weight loss," said corresponding author Kelseanna Hollis Hansen of the Tufts University Food is Medicine Institute in Boston. "We need evidence-based strategies to support them if and when they discontinue GLP-1 medication, so they can maintain those gains."

Researchers said larger, longer, and more diverse studies are needed to confirm the findings.

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