There is research into whether weight regain happens, and most (over 50%) of people keep some weight off after getting off the semaglutide (and tirzepatide).
Wrote about it here[0], and the the study linked is:
https://www.epicresearch.org/articles/many-patients-maintain...
If you look at the STEP-1 and and SURMOUNT-4 trial extensions, the registered around a 6% drop in body weight after stopping.
Price needs to go down and availability needs to go up, but the narrative around people regaining all their weight back after stopping is silly.
Most importantly of all, people on these drugs might have a way to finally escape problems of food addiction because the effects are also psychological.
That said, there are certainly side effects, the drugs aren't magic -- they don't work for everyone and they are expensive (right now), etc. The fearmongering is annoying though.
Even from the article itself:
> A commonly cited 2022 study funded by Novo Nordisk , the manufacturer of Wegovy and Ozempic, found that patients regained two-thirds of their lost weight a year after they stopped taking semaglutide, the main component in the medications. Wegovy is approved for obesity treatment. Ozempic is approved for Type 2 diabetes, but many people take it off-label for weight loss.
So... People kept 1/3rd of the weight they lost off for a year?! This should be lauded.
[0]: https://glp1.guide/content/do-people-regain-all-the-weight-l...