Weight loss can be hard. Yo-yo or fad diets, exercise trends, good fats vs. bad fats; it can be hard to keep up and sometimes even after losing the pounds it’s even harder to keep them off. So for many the availability of weight- loss drugs like Semaglutide, Wegovy, Ozempic and Liragltuide just to name a few have been extremely beneficial for patients who previously had trouble losing weight. 

However, a new study suggests that these medications alone may not be all you need to keep the weight off long term. Many have reported after finishing the popular weight loss drugs that they put back on the weight which is when doctors began researching. 

The study took place at the University of Copenhagen and the Hvidovre Hospital in Denmark and really noted that patients who combined the weight loss medications with regular exercise were able to maintain the weight loss results vs. patients who did not incorporate a workout routine to their lifestyle. 

Patients who only used the weight -loss drug without exercising unfortunately reported gaining back 70 percent of the weight they lost. 

The study did primarily focus on Liraglutide. Liraglutide, a medication belonging to the GLP-1 receptor agonist class, primarily used for treating Type 2 diabetes and obesity. GLP-1 agonists like liraglutide and semaglutide work by shrinking the patient’s appetite and slowing down the emptying of the stomach. The study resulted in experts encouraging the patients to also add a regular exercise routine and a healthy lifestyle to sustain the weight loss. 

Weight loss drugs can be extremely beneficial to a healthy lifestyle and significantly help patients lose weight -but to keep off the weight doctors recommend adding exercise to your routine to keep long term results.