People taking semaglutide for weight loss continued to consume significantly fewer calories after 60 weeks on the medication, helping explain how the medication supports both initial weight loss and long-term weight maintenance. The study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition and led by investigators from Penn's Center for Weight and Eating Disorders and Penn Metabolic Medicine, is among the first to examine the long-term effects of semaglutide on eating behavior beyond the initial months of treatment.
Researchers found that while some of the medication's early reduction of hunger and food-related thoughts became less pronounced over time, participants continued to eat substantially fewer calories than those receiving placebo after more than a year of treatment.
"Many patients worry that their medication has stopped working if they notice some return of hunger after the first several months," said Jena S. Tronieri, lead author of the study and senior research investigator in the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at Penn Medicine. "Our findings show that even when people feel some of those sensations returning, semaglutide continues to help them eat less. That sustained reduction in calorie intake appears to be a key reason why weight loss is maintained over time."
