This quotation, typical of many others, comes from Healthline:
Research has found that when people stop using semaglutide medications […] weight rebound occurs. Experts say this is because the drug is not a cure…
The author also adds, “and it does not prevent the metabolic adaptation that occurs during weight loss.” Just like in the aftermath of bariatric surgery, the patient will have to cope with the adjustments and compensations the body has made in an effort to get back to what it — rightly or wrongly — perceives as normal.
The term “the chronicity of obesity” has been brought up, and “chronic” is not a word we want to hear associated with any of our physical problems. It also is faintly reminiscent of a concept that Childhood Obesity News discussed at length — the Set Point.
It has been suggested that the Set Point is such a relentless foe, that it does not even stay faithful to its name, but sneakily persists in resetting itself, to an ever-higher figure of course. If the dreaded Set Point exists, then the subject of the present discussion, “continuing lifestyle intervention,” should necessarily be a part of just about everybody’s program, always. Anyone who finds the topic interesting can see more here, here, or here.
If there is such a thing as a set point, long-term maintenance would be impossible except for a small percentage of weight losers who are willing to devote to it a large percentage of their time and efforts.
The big question
One of the most important discussions to be had right now is, what to do about obese children and teens, and most of all, how to prevent them from getting that way in the first place. But, one thing at a time. For kids who are already over the line, they, their parents, and their medical advisors face a choice between surgery and meds. The trend toward favoring and recommending new weight-loss drugs seems so well-established as to be inevitable.
The biggest difference between them is that a whole lot is known about life after bariatric surgery, while not much at all is known about life after beginning one of the drugs. That lack of knowledge is true of patients who stay on the drug they are prescribed, and those who quit after a year or even a few months.
As for staying with a drug for several years or many years, a relatively minuscule amount of information has been collected. The only certainty is that everybody needs some help along the way, and most people succeed much better with continuing lifestyle intervention of some variety.
What has been the point of this series on continuing lifestyle intervention? To emphasize its importance of course, but more than that, to remind the Childhood Obesity News audience that there is an excellent tool for the purpose. We urge readers to check out BrainWeighve as a guide through the scary forest of continuing life.
It is for people who are actively working on breaking their addiction to overeating (and other things as well) and yes, even for people who don’t have an addiction-prone tendency and hope to avoid ever having one. It’s a flexible program, to participate in a little or a lot, as needed; both a tool for maintenance when things are going smoothly, and a staunch ally to do the heavy lifting when the train jumps the track and needs to be put back.
Your responses and feedback are welcome!
Source: “Ozempic Rebound: Why Most People Regain Weight After Stopping Semaglutide,” Healthline.com, 06/09/23
Image by Pam Lariviere/Public Domain
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