Research
Hormonal
Long-term use of FDA-approved anti-obesity medications (AOMs) is necessary to maintain weight loss, as discontinuation leads to significant weight regain.
If you are using medication to lose weight, plan to use it long-term. Stopping the medication usually causes the weight to come back, along with the health risks. Work with your doctor to find a safe, sustainable long-term plan.
StrongSupportsVERY_HIGH confidence
Continuing the use of long-term approved medications even after weight loss can help with weight maintenance... If medication is discontinued, weight regain occurs and improved comorbidities worsen... It is desirable to administer long-term medication rather than short-term treatment, provided there are no issues with patient tolerance and safety.
Why this rating
Supported by multiple pivotal Phase 3 trials (STEP 1, STEP 5, STEP 4, SURMOUNT) demonstrating sustained efficacy and significant regain upon discontinuation.
Source
Strategies for Long-Term Weight Loss and Maintenance
Yoo Bin Seo · Korean Journal of Family Practice · 2023
DOI 10.21215/kjfp.2023.13.3.128
narrative_reviewCited 2×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
More from this paper
- Long-term maintenance of weight loss requires significantly higher physical activity levels (≥150–250 minutes/week) than those recommended for general health or initial weight loss.Good
- High-protein diets (>25% of calories or 1-1.2 g/kg body weight) are superior to other macronutrient compositions for long-term weight maintenance, primarily by preserving fat-free mass and increasing satiety.Good
Related findings · Hormonal
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- Continued weekly administration of 2.4 mg subcutaneous semaglutide prevents weight regain and promotes further weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas switching to placebo results in significant weight regain.Strong
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