Clinician answer
GLP-1 medications are designed as chronic therapy for obesity — similar to how blood-pressure medications are taken indefinitely. STEP-4 and SURMOUNT-4 trials show patients regain about two-thirds of lost weight within a year of discontinuation. If cost or side effects force stopping, a slow taper with continued lifestyle support helps preserve some loss.
Answered by Dr. Jane Novak, MD, MPH