Exercise is the secret to staying thin after the Ozempic jab – as research shows most people regain most of the weight they lose
Dieters who stop taking the latest weight-loss medications can avoid regaining the weight by starting an exercise regimen.
Although weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy have skyrocketed in popularity in recent years, studies show that many users who stop taking the expensive weekly shots regain most of the weight they have lost.
But research has shown that those who start regular exercise before stopping the drugs regain only a small amount of weight compared to those who don’t.
The injections, first developed as a diabetes treatment known as GLP-1 drugs, reduce users’ appetite.
Weight loss medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy have exploded in popularity in recent years (stock image)
Research has shown that those who start regular exercise before stopping the drugs regain only a small amount of weight (stock image)
Clinical studies show that patients taking semaglutide – the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy – lose an average of 15 percent of their body weight.
The new study, conducted by scientists at the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, found that patients who stopped taking a GLP-1 drug called liraglutide regained an average of almost 20 pounds in a year.
However, those who participated in an exercise regimen with a fitness professional while taking the medication only gained about 10 pounds (4.5 kg).
Researchers claim this is because patients got into the habit of exercising and continued to do so after stopping the shots.
The drugs, which have won many celebrity fans and helped create global shortages, allow dieters to lose weight quickly but have some uncomfortable side effects such as nausea, diarrhea and stomach pain.
They can also be expensive, with private patients in Britain paying as much as £300 a month.
Last year, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak branded the drug ‘a game-changer’ and announced a pilot project that would allow GPs to offer the injections to obese patients.
However, some users say they have experienced such severe side effects that they have been forced to stop taking the drugs.
In June 2023, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson revealed he had been taking semaglutide and losing 4 to 5 pounds a week. However, he decided to stop treatment after experiencing vomiting.