Recent research has shown the possibility for fat cells to remember obesity after weight loss, increasing the likelihood to regain weight easily, even after using weight loss medications such as Wegovy and Mounjaro.
Superintendent Pharmacist, Jana Abelovska, at Click Pharmacy has shared her advice for using weight loss jabs to avoid regaining weight quickly after coming off them.
Jana Abelovska, Superintendent Pharmacist at Click Pharmacy, comments:
“Research has revealed the extent to which fat cells “remember” past obesity even after weight loss. This has implications for plenty of people looking to manage their weight, including those who take Wegovy (a drug with the same active ingredient as Ozempic) or Mounjaro.
“If a person has a history of being significantly overweight in the past, the fat cells in their body are able to grow faster than fat cells in someone who doesn’t have that experience. Unfortunately, this can make things more difficult for people who are trying to lose weight or maintain their new weight. This could be a key reason behind the experience some people have described, of coming off Wegovy, Mounjaro or other weight management drugs, and finding that they put weight back on again. People with diabetes who stop using Ozempic might also experience this.
“People who are coming off weight management drugs should be aware that when they have tapered off their medication, they will no longer experience the appetite suppressant effect, nor the feeling of fullness. It’s important to try and develop healthy dietary and exercise habits while on these drugs, and then keep them up if you stop using the medicine.
“Interesting studies suggest that muscle cells, like fat cells, might be able to “remember”. This means that once you have put on muscle previously, even if your level of strength and fitness has since dropped, you might be able to build it up again more easily.”