Experts are raising serious questions about the long-term benefits and cost of popular weight loss injections, following new research that shows a rapid regain of weight once treatment stops.
The 'Miraculous' Jabs and the Sobering Reality
Injections such as Wegovy and Mounjaro have been celebrated as revolutionary treatments for obesity. Clinical trials demonstrated impressive results, with participants losing an average of 15% to 20% of their body weight—results described as "almost miraculous" compared to traditional diet and exercise plans.
However, a critical new review of the evidence has cast a shadow over their future use. The research, examined by experts from the University of Oxford, reveals a stark pattern: when people stop taking the medication, the lost weight often returns swiftly.
The High Cost of Stopping Treatment
Currently, around one in 50 people in the UK are using these treatments, with approximately 90% paying privately at a cost of £120 to £250 per month. A major issue is that more than half stop within a year, primarily due to the expense.
The Oxford researchers, including Professor Susan Jebb, found that in clinical trials, people regained all the weight they had lost within an average of just 18 months of ending the medication. This rebound is nearly four times faster than the regain seen after stopping conventional weight management programmes.
"The health improvements vanish too," the experts noted, with blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels reverting to their original states. This suggests the drugs may need to be taken indefinitely to maintain benefits, dramatically altering their cost-effectiveness for the NHS.
NHS Access and Affordable Alternatives
The rapid weight regain raises serious questions about fairness and value for money for the health service. Obesity is more prevalent in deprived areas, where people are least able to afford private care, making NHS access crucial for equity.
Presently, strict NHS criteria mean only those with a BMI over 40 and multiple obesity-related conditions qualify. For others, private payment is the only option. The experts warn that while drug prices may fall, it could take years.
In the meantime, they highlight that traditional weight management programmes remain a vital foundation for treatment. They point out that total diet replacement programmes, using nutritionally balanced shakes, can achieve similar weight loss at a fraction of the cost. Group-based programmes like WW and Slimming World, while resulting in smaller average losses, can also be cost-effective.
The experts concluded that making these cheaper, effective programmes more widely available would ensure fairer access to support, even if the results are less dramatic than those possible with long-term medication.
