After weight loss breakthrough: The hard truth about staying slim

 After weight loss, people are hungrier, feel less satisfied after eating and burn fewer calories than expected. [Courtesy]

GLP-1 drugs have ushered in a new era in weight loss. In just a few years, medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, known by the brand names Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound, have gone from niche diabetes treatments to household names, reshaping how people thinks about weight loss.

A November 2025 Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that one in eight US adults have tried a GLP-1 medication for weight loss, diabetes or another condition. And we expect that number to rise now that one of these drugs, Wegovy, has become available in pill form, increasing its accessibility for many people.