Do I need to take obesity medication for the rest of my life?
Obesity is a chronic and complex disease. Research shows that individuals who stop taking medication tend to regain weight. The theory behind this is that there is a so-called “set point” in the brain, which acts like a thermostat in the hypothalamus and monitors body weight. When you lose weight, this thermostat increases hunger and appetite in order to restore the weight to the higher level you previously had.
From an evolutionary perspective, humans are adapted to avoid starvation and survive in a very different environment than the one we often live in today. The reasons why an individual develops obesity are multifactorial, and therefore the measures required to lose weight and maintain weight loss vary from person to person.
We advise patients not to stop taking medication once they have reached their target weight. Instead, we recommend trying a lower dose, known as a maintenance dose, which helps prevent weight regain. More research is needed before we know who may be able to discontinue medication a certain number of years after achieving stable weight at a healthy level.
