+- Scivillage.com Casual Discussion Science Forum (https://www.scivillage.com)
+-- Forum: Culture (https://www.scivillage.com/forum-49.html)
+--- Forum: Fitness & Mental Health (https://www.scivillage.com/forum-85.html)
+--- Thread: Article Cravings ‘like heroin withdrawal’: what happens when weight-loss drugs don’t work? (/thread-21281.html)
Cravings ‘like heroin withdrawal’: what happens when weight-loss drugs don’t work? - C C - Sep 8, 2026
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2026/sep/07/glp1s-weight-loss-drugs-cravings-non-responders
EXCERPT: But as time went on it was hope, not weight, that fell away.
“I was on [Ozempic] for nine months. And then I went on Wegovy for four months, then Contrave [an oral, non-GLP-1 medication], and then Mounjaro, and that was for a few months, and then nine months ago I started on Zepbound,” said Mercedes. “Nothing has worked.”
A recently retired teacher in her 50s, Mercedes is among a small proportion of people for whom the powerful new weight-loss drugs, championed by celebrities for their transformative effects, do not work.
Ozempic, a type 2 diabetes medication, and Wegovy, which is licensed for weight loss, both contain a drug called semaglutide that mimics a hormone that occurs naturally in our bodies: GLP-1. These medications reduce the rate at which food is emptied from the stomach, suppress appetite and increase the production of insulin – meaning many people lose weight.
Mounjaro and Zepbound, also now household names, have an even greater weight-loss effect. They both contain the drug tirzepatide which mimics both GLP-1 and another hormone.
The excitement around such “GLP-1s” has been hard to miss: the medications have grabbed headlines, with clinical trials suggesting they can help participants lose an average of 15% to 20% of their body weight. Studies suggest they could help with conditions ranging from heart problems and addictions to fatty liver disease. In some cases experts say the effects may not be entirely related to weight loss.
But not everyone experiences the benefits. Between 9% and a third of participants in clinical trials lose less than 5% of their body weight – depending on the type of drug and dose used.
Now researchers are trying to work out why – something they say could help doctors tailor the use of the drugs, maximise cost-effectiveness and reduce side-effects. For Mercedes, the impact of non-response has been profound... (MORE - details)
RE: Cravings ‘like heroin withdrawal’: what happens when weight-loss drugs don’t work? - Syne - Sep 8, 2026
Well, if a person's eating isn't tied to hunger, the drugs might not work. Some overeating could be tied to a person's mental compulsion. Apparently 2.8% of US adults suffer from Binge Eating Disorder. So that could explain part of the 9% resistant.
RE: Cravings ‘like heroin withdrawal’: what happens when weight-loss drugs don’t work? - Magical Realist - Sep 9, 2026
I'm on the downslope. Just started my 10 mg doses of tirzepatide and am eating one small meal a day. Down to 227 lbs the past few days. I also went off Olanzipine which makes me gain weight. I have my physical today. We'll see how my A1C looks.
RE: Cravings ‘like heroin withdrawal’: what happens when weight-loss drugs don’t work? - Syne - Sep 9, 2026
Olanzapine (commonly known by the brand name Zyprexa) is an atypical antipsychotic medication prescribed to treat mental health conditions like schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder.