Diseases & conditions

Study: 82% Regain Weight After Stopping Mounjaro

Are GLP-1 drugs like Mounjaro flawed treatments creating lifelong dependency, or effective chronic condition management?

Published NOV 25 2025

Study: 82% Regain Weight After Stopping Mounjaro

Story

Above: A close-up of a Mounjaro KwikPen injection. Image credit: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

The Facts

Published Monday, a 36-week international study involving 308 participants found that 82% of participants who discontinued tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Mounjaro, regained at least 25% of their lost weight within one year of discontinuation.
Guardian
JAMA Network
MedPage Today
The study, conducted by the University of Texas and funded by the manufacturer Eli Lilly, showed that participants experienced significant weight loss and health improvements while using Mounjaro, but these benefits reversed after stopping treatment.
Independent
Gazeta Express
Erwin Loh on X
Participants who regained 75% or more of their lost weight had their cardiometabolic parameters return to baseline, while those who regained up to 50% maintained some health improvements compared to the study's start.
Maeil Business Newspaper
Tyla
EurekAlert!
Weight regain was associated with increases in waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, non-HDL cholesterol levels, hemoglobin A1c and fasting insulin levels. Greater weight regain was associated with larger increases in these measures.
GB News
JAMA Network
Herald Sun
Around 2.5 million Britons currently use weight-loss injections such as Mounjaro, Ozempic, and Wegovy, which are GLP-1 agonists that mimic natural hormones that regulate appetite and glucose levels. Meanwhile, a study published earlier this year found that nearly 12% of Americans have used GLP-1 agonists.
Daily Mail
Gazeta Express
The Telegraph
ScienceDaily
Under new U.K. NHS rules, Mounjaro will be offered to approximately 220,000 people over three years. GPs will be able to prescribe it to patients with a BMI over 40 and at least four obesity-related health complications, such as diabetes or hypertension.
Daily Mail
Gazeta Express
BBC News

Sources Split

LEFT

CENTER

RIGHT

ESTAB
CRIT

CENTER

PRO
ESTAB

The Spin

Narrative A

GLP-1 drugs like Mounjaro are fundamentally flawed miracle cures that trap patients in lifelong dependency. The shocking reality is that 82% of people regain significant weight after stopping, proving these medications don't actually cure obesity but merely mask it temporarily.

Medscape

Narrative B

The tirzepatide study demonstrates exactly what effective obesity treatment looks like — continuous medical management of a chronic condition. Just like diabetes or hypertension require ongoing medication, obesity needs sustained treatment to maintain the remarkable health benefits these drugs provide.