Article 4
Stopping GLP-1 Therapy: Can Structured Support Help Prevent Weight Regain?
Weight regain after discontinuing glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1 RAs) remains a major challenge in long-term obesity management. A pilot randomized controlled trial published in Obesity Science & Practice in 2026 investigated whether medically tailored meals (MTMs) or a digital wellness application could help slow weight regain after treatment cessation. The remote study enrolled 39 adults who had lost more than 10% of their body weight during GLP-1 therapy and had stopped treatment within the previous 30 days. Participants were assigned to four months of medically tailored meals, access to the Noom digital wellness application, or usual care. The meal group received 10 prepared meals per week, while the app group was encouraged to use the application for at least 15 minutes daily.
Over four months, model-estimated weight regain was approximately 3.6% of baseline weight in both intervention groups, compared with about 11% in the usual-care group. However, adherence and satisfaction did not differ significantly between the groups, and both intervention groups still experienced weight regain. The study was small, follow-up was short, and the findings do not establish whether either approach can sustain weight loss over the longer term. Nevertheless, the results suggest that structured nutritional support and digital behavioural strategies may be worth exploring during the transition off GLP-1 therapy. Larger trials are needed to confirm these findings and identify effective, sustainable approaches to weight maintenance after medication discontinuation.