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 SEMAGLUTIDE: MOST PEOPLE QUIT USING IT WITHIN A YEAR 




A new Danish study has thrown some cold water on the hype around semaglutide, the weight-loss drug that’s been all over the headlines the past few years. Despite its reputation for helping people shed serious pounds, the reality is that more than half of adults without diabetes who start taking the drug in Denmark end up quitting within a year. The main culprits? High costs, nasty side effects, and existing medical or mental health conditions. The numbers are even starker for younger adults and men, who are especially likely to drop out—and unfortunately, stopping the drug often leads to weight gain creeping right back.

GLP-1 receptor agonists like semaglutide are being praised as a new era in obesity treatment, but the data suggest a different story in the real world. Researchers looked at health records across Denmark and tracked nearly 80,000 adults who started semaglutide for weight loss between December 2022 and October 2023. By the one-year mark, more than 40,000 had stopped taking it. A significant chunk quit even earlier: 18% within three months, 31% within six, and 42% within nine months.

Why are so many people giving up? The price tag is a big reason—just the lowest dose costs around 2,000 euros a year. Unsurprisingly, folks living in lower-income areas were 14% more likely to stop than those in wealthier neighborhoods, and younger people quit at higher rates than their older counterparts. Side effects are another major issue, especially for people with a history of gut problems or psychiatric conditions. Men, too, were 12% more likely to throw in the towel than women, possibly because women tend to see better results on the drug.

Professor Reimar W. Thomsen, who led the study, points out that these medications aren’t meant to be used short-term. If you stop, all the appetite-suppressing benefits disappear, and the weight often returns. The findings raise challenging questions about whether drugs like semaglutide are the answer for most people struggling with weight, especially when the barriers to long-term use are so high.

With more than half of European adults now living with overweight or obesity, it’s clear that we need better solutions—ones that people can actually stick with for the long haul. If you’re tired of quick fixes and frustrated by the cycle of weight loss and regain, maybe it’s time to try something different. Working with a fitness or health coach can help you build healthier habits that last, without depending on expensive medications that may not go the distance.

Ready to take a more natural, sustainable path to better health? Connect with a fitness health coach at ProTime-Fitness.org and start building a plan that works for your life.

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