New research suggests that people who stop taking weight-loss medications often regain much of the weight they lost — along with associated health benefits — within two years of ending treatment, raising questions about the long-term effectiveness of drugs increasingly used to address global obesity.
In a large analysis published Jan. 7, 2026, in The BMJ medical journal, researchers reported that patients who discontinued weight-loss medications regained weight at an average rate of about one pound per month. The retrospective study reviewed data from 37 earlier studies involving more than 9,300 overweight or obese adults and found that many participants regained much of the weight they had lost within two years. Improvements in blood pressure and cholesterol levels also tended to reverse within roughly 18 months.
Roughly half of the participants had taken newer GLP-1 medications, including semaglutide, marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy, and tirzepatide, sold as Mounjaro and Zepbound. These drugs have driven a rapid expansion in medical weight-loss treatment worldwide.
“Understanding who does well and who does not is a bit of a ‘holy grail’ question in weight-loss research,” said study senior author Dimitrios Koutoukidis of the University of Oxford. “But nobody has the answer to that yet.”
The findings come amid a growing global obesity crisis and the rapid adoption of pharmaceutical treatments. According to the World Health Organization, in 2022 an estimated 43% of adults worldwide were overweight, and 16% were living with obesity. In total, about 2.5 billion adults were overweight, including more than 890 million with obesity. Childhood overweight and obesity also continue to rise, affecting more than 390 million children and adolescents globally.
The expanding use of GLP-1 medications has also reshaped global pharmaceutical markets. A May 2025 analysis by Morgan Stanley estimated that more than 30 million people worldwide were already using weight-loss medications, a number expected to grow as access expands beyond the United States. The firm projected the global market for weight-loss drugs could reach $150 billion by 2035, driven by demand across Europe, Asia and parts of the Middle East, as well as expanding clinical use for conditions such as cardiovascular disease, kidney disease and sleep apnea.
As the medical use of these drugs accelerates, Christian thinkers have begun reflecting on their implications for faith, health and cultural expectations surrounding body image and discipline.
In a December 2025 feature for Premier Christianity, journalist Emma Hardy explored how weight-loss medications are shaping conversations among Christians about worth, self-control and health. “Even Christians are not immune to an image-obsessed society,” Hardy wrote, cautioning that weight loss can be mistaken for moral or spiritual success rather than viewed primarily as a health outcome.
Hardy also highlighted the stigma surrounding medical weight loss. She recounted an interviewee who spoke on the U.K. television program This Morning, saying she initially told only her husband after starting GLP-1 treatment, fearing she would be labeled a “cheat” or “lazy” for using medication. The account reflects broader cultural assumptions that weight struggles are self-inflicted and that weight loss is often viewed as a test of personal discipline rather than a medical condition.
In a November 2024 opinion piece for the Evangelical Alliance in the United Kingdom, Damilola Makinde reflected on the deeper motivations behind seeking what she described as quick fixes such as weight-loss drugs. She asked, “Why do we find it so much more palatable to seek satisfaction in a pill or injection, rather than in a person?” and suggested that living “life to the full” also involves embracing sacrifice, effort and the cost of following Jesus.
Christian Post columnist Michael Brown similarly framed GLP-1 medications as supportive tools rather than replacements for long-term habits. “These medications can help people make meaningful health progress,” he wrote, “but they should not replace the work of daily discipline and wise stewardship of the body.”
Taken together, the latest research highlights both the promise and the limits of obesity medications. While the drugs may offer meaningful health benefits during use, studies suggest those gains are often difficult to sustain without ongoing treatment, long-term lifestyle support and continued medical care — insights that continue to shape public health debates across cultures and faith communities alike.
