One-third of people taking blockbuster weight-loss medications like Wegovy give them up within the first month, and nearly 60 percent quit after three.
That’s according to a new analysis of weight-loss drug prescriptions for 170,000 obese and overweight adults written from 2014 to early 2024 by The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
Experts raised concerns over the figures, saying someone needs to take the drugs for at least 12 weeks to achieve ‘clinically meaningful’ weight loss — or losing at least five percent of body weight.
The researchers did not investigate why so many quit early, but it may be due to the wide array of unpleasant side-effects some users report, such as indigestion, nausea and suicidal thoughts, as well as the cost of the drugs or difficulty filling prescriptions because of frequent shortages.
Many patients quit obesity medications before achieving clinically meaningful weight loss- or losing at least five percent of their body weight, data suggests
The analysis searched databases for prescriptions for Saxenda — or liraglutide — and Wegovy — or semaglutide — written between 2014, when Saxenda first became available, and December 2023, the latest date available.
Researchers noted an explosion in use, with just 5,717 new prescriptions written for weight loss drugs in 2020 compared to 120,763 in 2023 — a 2,000 percent rise.
The drugs were initially approved for type 2 diabetics, but the FDA has now also cleared many for weight loss — meaning they can be covered by insurance.
Some of the medications are also prescribed off-label for this purpose.
The study did not include prescriptions for tirzepatide — known as Zepbound — because this was not approved for weight loss until November last year.
It also did not include Ozempic prescriptions because this drug is not approved for weight loss, but is used off-label for it.
This graph shows how 30 percent of weight loss medication users quit within a month, while 58 percent quit after three months
The above graph shows how prescriptions for weight-loss drugs have skyrocketed in the US
All prescriptions were for users who had private health insurance while those on Medicaid or Medicare were excluded. Patients were tracked for up to 180 days.
Overall, patients who received the prescriptions were 45 years old on average and 79 percent were female.
The analysis found users under 35 years old who had received a prescription from a primary care provider were most likely to quit.
People younger than 35 were 41 percent less likely to stay on the medications than those aged 35 to 54 years old. They were also 48 percent less likely to stay on the drugs than those in the 55- to 64-year-old age group.
Researchers also found patients with three or more co-morbidities — such as diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease — were 14 percent less likely to continue for at least 12 weeks than those with no underlying conditions.
Razia Hashmi, the vice president of clinical affairs at the Association, said: ‘When patients take medication, we want it to be safe and effective.
‘This study shows most people are unlikely to see lasting benefits. Unfortunately, weight loss isn’t as simple as filling a prescription.’
There is no specific time frame for how long someone should be on the medications, although in clinical trials obese patients were on the drug for 68 weeks.
Staff at medical spas say people on the drug can lose as much as 1lb per week until they have reached their goal weight.
But in order to keep the weight off, many encourage people to use the drugs alongside diet and lifestyle changes — such as exercising more and eating healthy.
And separate studies show many patients who come off the drugs rapidly gain back all the weight they have lost.
The researchers from The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association did not say why people may stop using the medications, but it could be because of the unpleasant side effects users report.
Clinical trials showed 43 percent of semaglutide users — the drug in Wegovy — suffer from feelings of nausea, while 30 percent suffered from diarrhea.
In more concerning cases, patients have also reported losing their hair while on the drugs and stomach pains worse than childbirth caused by pancreatitis, or an inflammation of the pancreas.
At the same time, the drugs are expensive — with a month’s supply of Ozempic costing $936 out-of-pocket in the US — 1,300 percent more than in countries like the UK and France, where the prescription is priced at up to $93.
Most major insurance companies cover Wegovy prescriptions for weight loss, but patients may still need to foot the bill for copays.
Weight loss medications have also been repeatedly hit with shortages — with the FDA database currently showing three of five Wegovy doses are not widely available.
