Experts have warned that people using weight loss drugs will eventually hit a plateau, after a forum was filled with comments from those who have experienced the ‘Ozempic wall’.
A Reddit group is filled with posts from people saying that despite initially shedding the pounds through Ozempic or Wegovy, their weight has now plateaued.
However, experts have said that this effect is to be expected and is the same with any weight loss strategy.
Professor Naveed Sattar, an expert in cardiometabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow, said that while semaglutide does work well for most people, a weight plateau is inevitable.
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Professor Sattar said: “As lighter people burn less calories, weight will always plateau over time, as with any weight loss intervention.
“The amount of calories consumed will eventually balance with less calories burned to lead to a new steady weight.”
The forum shows dozens of people reporting that the effect of the weight loss drugs have appeared to have worn off, with one contributor commenting: “I’ve been plateauing in terms of weight loss for the past three months at 2.0mg. How can I break this?
“I’ve been walking a lot more, started intermittent fasting, and drinking a lot more water, but nothing seems to break it.”
Another person commented: “I’ve been on semaglutide for a little over 6 weeks. I’ve only lost 9 lbs (4kg).
“I just started the 0.5mg dose and feel like I’ve hit a wall. I used to have little to no appetite but it’s coming back and I’m craving certain things again. I’m nervous that this isn’t working for me.”
Experts have warned that drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy may not be a long-term solution, with studies showing that many people re-gain weight when they stop taking the drugs.
Consultant bariatric surgeon Ahmed Ahmed, from Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, said: “Unrealistic expectations of a weight-loss cure have been driven by social media, not science or medicine, and by marketing rather than public health.
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“This has created some serious misconceptions: these drugs can certainly work, but clinical trials show that around a third of people don’t respond to GLP-1 drugs.
“People also think that they will end up at their ideal weight, but most just don’t lose that much.
“Worse, they think you can take the drug for only a short while and keep the weight off permanently afterwards, but all the research shows that this isn’t true: people put the weight back on after stopping the drug.”
The side effects of the popular weight loss drugs, which can include sickness and diarrhoea, have resulted in people stopping taking them.
Recently, actor Stephen Fry said taking Ozempic made him vomit five times a day.
