A recent, extensive study has warned of the repercussions and consequences for people who rely on slimming injections for weight loss after they stop taking them.
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| Slimming injections |
The Al Jazeera Mubasher program "With the Doctor" addressed the issue of slimming injections, which have become a popular option for those seeking rapid weight loss, before recent studies revealed a less optimistic side to these injections.
The episode was based on a comprehensive study published in the British Medical Journal, which analyzed data from 37 medical studies involving more than 9,000 patients who used popular weight-loss injections such as Wegovi and Mongaro.
The study concluded that these injections are indeed capable of achieving significant weight loss, potentially reaching up to 20% of total body weight during the treatment period, which explains their increasing popularity worldwide.
However, the results contained a worrying surprise: the lost weight is quickly regained after stopping the injections.
According to the study, users of weight-loss injections regain weight at a rate of approximately 0.8 kilograms per month after stopping treatment, about four times faster than those who rely solely on diet and exercise.
The researchers noted that most patients return to their previous weight within about a year and a half of stopping the injections, raising serious questions about the sustainability of the results of this type of treatment.
A Scientific Explanation of the Phenomenon: The study's authors explained this rapid weight regain by the injections' effect on the appetite hormone, which is responsible for the feeling of satiety.
When using the injections, the feeling of hunger decreases significantly, but after stopping them, the hormone's activity returns to normal, leading to an increase in hunger and, consequently, gradual weight regain.
During the discussion on the "With the Doctor" program, doctors emphasized that relying solely on weight-loss injections is a losing proposition in the medium and long term.
The researchers warned against treating these injections as a magic solution, stressing that lifestyle changes remain the decisive factor in maintaining weight, through adhering to a healthy diet, increasing physical activity, and improving daily eating habits. Conversely, some doctors participating in the discussion pointed out that obesity is medically classified as a chronic disease, which means – in their view – that some patients may need to continue using injections for extended periods, just as with medications for blood pressure or diabetes, provided that this is under strict medical supervision.