Are GLP-1 Users Satisfied With Their Weight Loss?

The survey found that many people regained the weight that they had lost and frequently needed to stop and start the medication. Most GLP-1 users also reported making lifestyle changes to help them reach their goals.

Overall, 70 percent of GLP-1 users were satisfied with their weight loss while on the medication. Satisfaction dropped to 66 percent among people diagnosed with obesity.

“This doesn’t surprise me,” says Kevin Gendreau, MD, a family medicine and obesity medicine physician at the Weight & Wellness Center at Signature Healthcare in Brockton, Massachusetts. “A lot of it comes down to where people start and where they hope to end up.”

For instance, someone may reach their 20-pound weight loss goal on a GLP-1 and “feel great about it,” Dr. Gendreau says. But he adds that someone with a 120-pound goal may not feel as enthusiastic about losing 50 pounds, even though it‘s a major accomplishment.

“I spend a lot of time destigmatizing obesity treatment and reminding patients to look beyond the scale” and to focus on accomplishments like lowering blood sugar and blood pressure, Gendreau says. “Those wins count, even if the number on their scale isn’t exactly where they envisioned it.”

In the survey, 67 percent of GLP-1 users said that weight loss was their top health goal, followed by improving quality of life (49 percent) and living longer (37 percent). Most (84 percent) said that maintaining a weight goal could help them live longer.

Among survey participants, 40 percent set a weight loss goal of 50 pounds; 30 percent hoped to lose 26 to 50 pounds. Most survey respondents reported losing between 10 and 24 pounds.

Weight management was listed as a top challenge, and about 60 percent regained some of their weight after stopping a GLP-1 in this breakdown:

• 86 percent of current GLP-1 users who were diagnosed with obesity regained 10 or more pounds after stopping the medication, with about half of these users regaining 10 to 19 pounds.
• 80 percent of users who were not diagnosed with obesity regained 10 or more pounds; 35 percent regained 10 to 19 pounds.

“Weight regain is very common and should not be viewed as a failure of the patient,” says Paunel Vukasinov, MD, an internal medicine physician and obesity medicine specialist at the Medical Offices of Manhattan in New York City.

Obesity is a chronic condition, Dr. Vukasinov says, and GLP-1s work in part by reducing appetite, food cravings, and “the biological drive to eat,” he says. When you stop taking the drugs, those signals can return.

Ozempic (semaglutide) was the most commonly used medication, the survey found.

Most current GLP-1 users had been taking the medication for six months or longer. But 61 percent had stopped and started the medication at least once.

Overall, among users diagnosed with obesity, past GLP-1 users were more likely to start and stop the drug than those currently taking a GLP-1 drug.

Reasons for stopping the medications included:

• The high cost or insurance coverage issues for 37 percent of people diagnosed with obesity and 33 percent of those not diagnosed with obesity
• Side effects for 32 percent of people diagnosed with obesity and 21 percent of those not diagnosed with obesity
• Reaching a target weight or health goal for 13 percent of people diagnosed with obesity and 25 percent of those not diagnosed with obesity

”Very few of my patients stop by choice,” Gendreau says. ”It’s usually an insurance denial, a coverage change, a price increase, or a medication shortage.”

If someone stops taking a GLP-1, they often have to restart at a lower dose and gradually increase it, he says. This can also increase the likelihood of side effects such as nausea and other gastrointestinal problems.

”Repeated interruptions can lead to cycles of weight loss and regain, and can make long-term weight management more difficult,” Vukasinov says.

Weight loss was the most common change while taking GLP-1s, experienced by 57 percent of people diagnosed with obesity, the survey found. This was followed by reduced food noise and improved blood sugar and A1C control.

Many also reported changing their eating habits, including:

• Eating smaller portions
• Consuming fewer sugary or fried foods
• Incorporating more fruits and vegetables
• Preparing more foods at home
• Eating less in social settings

More than 40 percent of GLP-1 users said they exercised three to five times a week.

“The medication should be viewed as a tool that’s part of a comprehensive obesity treatment plan,” Vukasinov says. “The goal is not simply maximum weight loss; it is sustainable improvement in body composition and metabolic health.”

Behavioral and lifestyle changes are essential when taking GLP-1s, including consuming adequate protein and nutrient-dense foods with plenty of fiber, he says. Users should also do strength training, stay hydrated, and regularly follow up with their doctors, Gendreau says.

“Don’t let the medication do all the work,” Gendreau says. “It turns down the hunger and the food noise, which gives you a window to build habits that will last.”

Sources: Everyday Health Obesity/Weight Loss/GLP-1 online survey of 858 U.S. adults, August 5–15, 2026;