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What you need to know before taking weight-loss drugs

Weight-loss drugs are not the quick fix solution that many people believe, especially if you hope to keep the pounds off in the long-term.

Sarah Le Brocq has direct experience of the transformative effects of weight-loss drugs. She has lived with obesity for most of her adult life and tried numerous diets. “Anything that came out, I thought, ‘I’ll try that because that might work for me’.” Unfortunately, the weight always came back, she told the BBC’s Inside Health.

After taking weight-loss drugs for more than two years, she has lost almost eight stone (51kg/112lb). “All of a sudden I wasn’t thinking about food anymore,” she says. “I’ve just got more energy, I’m doing things I couldn’t do before… it’s kind of given me a new freedom in life again.”

Millions of people like Sarah are now accessing medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide, better known by their popular brand names Ozempic and Mounjaro. The numbers of people on weight-loss medication is only likely to increase as new drugs appear on the market too, including pills rather than the current jabs.

It’s clear that these drugs are opening up a new era in the treatment of obesity. The condition, is now a “mitigatable” issue, David Cummings, professor of medicine at the University of Washington tells me. “They are the closest thing I’ve seen to miracle drugs”. 

Other academics, however, warn that we risk losing sight of the need for behavioural change, especially as weight tends to be regained quickly when people stop taking the drugs.

So what should anyone planning to use weight-loss medication consider before they start?

How they work

Weight-loss drugs work by suppressing an individual’s appetite by mimicking hormones that tell our body when it is full. The most common are known as glucagon-like peptide 1, or GLP-1, and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide, or GIP.

The drugs bind to specialised molecules on the surface of our cells known as GLP-1 and GIP receptors, which play a key role in telling our body when it has had enough food.

Typically someone taking these drugs will begin to lose weight within the first few weeks. Although the drugs are only approved for weight loss in people with obesity, there is a rapidly growing private market for those not considered clinically obese.

Their popularity has been rising because they are extremely effective, with weight loss of between 14-20% in 72 weeks. But about 10-15% of people lose very little weight, so called “non-responders“.

GLP-1s are like “a chemical shield” that protects individuals against our “modern obesogenic environment, filled with cheap, calorie-dense foods”, says Naveed Sattar, a professor of cardiometabolic medicine at the University of Glasgow and leads the UK Government’s Obesity Healthcare Goals programme. He has also consulted on medical trials with several companies who produce weight-loss drugs but does not own any shares.

“There’s food everywhere,” he says – and within half an hour anyone “can pick up the phone and order 10,000 calories of food”.

If you stop, you’ll gain weight

If someone living with obesity starts to take weight-loss drugs, they need to consider that they may be on the drug long-term, says Cummings, who runs a weight management programme for individuals with obesity who have BMIs of 50 and above.

A common question he is asked by his patients before they start taking a weight-loss drug is how long they will be on it. Typically, they stop taking the drugs after about a year, he says. One analysis of scientific studies involving more than 9,000 patients indicated the average treatment duration was 39 weeks. People believe they can continue to lose weight using their willpower, he says, but the evidence suggests that is not the case.

People stop for various reasons, either due to the expense of treatment, their insurers stopping coverage or individuals not wishing to be on drugs for a prolonged period of time, Cummings has found.

And when people do stop the drugs, their weight tends to rebound. A recent study found that weight regain happens up to four times more quickly after stopping weight-loss drugs compared to someone ending a weight-loss programme that focuses on changing their behaviour.

Another study found that those on weight-loss drugs gained 1.5kg (3.3lbs) eight weeks after they stopped the medication, with their weight continuing to climb with the more time that passed. The same study also found that other health concerns, such as high blood pressure, also returns. New research has also found that people who stop taking weight-loss drugs gain back around 60% of the weight they lost a year later.

It returns quickly because of something researchers call “food noise“, which consists of persistent and intrusive thought around food, says Sattar.

Hormones play a role too. When an individual tries to lose weight, it triggers a powerful hormonal response that tells your body to regain the weight you lost. Cummings explains that because of this, the brain interprets a calorie drop as an energy deficiency, so after stopping weight-loss drugs, hormones that stimulate appetite increase while the rate at which you burn energy – the metabolic rate – decreases. “If these biological defences are strong enough, they can blunt the drug’s effectiveness,” he says.

Lifestyle change

Sattar has observed that for a small proportion of people who make lifestyle changes, it may be possible to reduce the dose or use the drug intermittently instead. Some really do make “fundamental changes in their diet”, he says.

“Others might need it at a lower dose than they would when they started. But the majority will probably still need some dose of the drug because the [food] environment is still the same.”

There’s also increasing concern that individuals are taking weight-loss medication as a substitute for making life-style changes – even though evidence shows that modifying lifestyle in combination with weight-loss drugs is what will lead to greater weight loss.

Experts have recently cautioned in a scientific review of the evidence that when there’s a lack of behavioural and lifestyle support for those on weight-loss drugs, it can leave individuals vulnerable to nutritional deficiencies. “We need to make sure people are getting enough protein and are getting all the vitamins and minerals they need,” says Marie Spreckley a nutrition and behavioural scientist at Cambridge University and lead author of the report. “You don’t want to have longer-term unintended consequences, like frailty and muscle loss. We don’t want to replace one health concern with another.”

Because these medications cause a dramatic appetite reduction, patients tend to eat less overall, she and her colleagues note. This can lead to a “missed opportunity” if patients are not supported long-term and their food choices remain poor.

No quick fix

The World Health Organization has therefore stated that medication alone won’t “reverse the obesity challenge”. Early interventions, screening and creating healthier environments are also needed, the organisation has stated in its guidelines on using GLP-1 drugs.

This is easier when people are still taking the drugs, Sattar says. “You have more mental space to think about your diet.”

But behavioural change is extremely challenging, says Amanda Daley, a professor of behavioural medicine at Loughborough University in the UK. She says there needs to be better communication with patients about how quickly they can regain weight once they stop taking GLP-1 medication.

Obesity is a chronic, relapsing condition, she says, which means it cannot be “cured” with a drug alone. That’s why additional support and “wraparound care” is key to ensure patients make dietary changes as well as increasing their physical activity.

It’s unclear whether private providers are providing this crucial additional support, she says, which she finds concerning since so many people access the drugs privately and it is hard to monitor continuation of care.

Micro-nudges help change behaviour

To overcome some of this – researchers at Stanford have looked at how they can help support and encourage lifestyle changes. In one recent study, researchers tested whether small nudges – or “microsteps” – could help encourage healthy behavioural change for those taking GLP-1 medications.

The tiny changes focused on nutrition, physical activity, sleep and stress management. Crucially, the microsteps were small and manageable, such as swapping sugary drinks for water, no longer drinking coffee after lunch, taking a deep breath when stressed or popping outside for five minutes.

They found these helped improve behavioural expectations. It’s this “expectation” that’s a first necessary step for behavioural change, says Maya Adam, a clinical associate professor of paediatrics at Stanford School of Medicine, who was involved in the study.

“Achieving your best health involves a lot more than pharmacotherapy alone,” she says. “We found that giving people these little nudges may be very effective.” She calls these steps “too small to fail” because even small daily changes and habits make a real difference over time.

Side-effects

These kind of interventions are crucial to help give people the tools they need to enact change, Daley says, especially considering the known side effects. These include gastrointestinal issues. There has also been an observed increase in pancreatitis and gallstones. Muscle loss is another concern, especially among individuals who are not exercising. Recently a study found links to bone and joint conditions too.

While we now have several years of data on the effectiveness of GLP-1 drugs, we don’t yet know what the long-term outlook will be or whether the results will wear off over time. There is also a lack of data on how these drugs affect pregnancy outcomes or future generations, as the advice is not to take weight-loss drugs during pregnancy. 

But given the negative health outcomes for those living with obesity, the side effects pale in comparison, both Sattar and Cummings say. This is particularly the case for individuals with multiple weight-related conditions. Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the leading causes of death worldwide – and all are linked to obesity.

A changing landscape

What is clear is that the landscape for weight-loss medication is rapidly evolving.

There are other health benefits too beyond weight loss. In one major study involving two million people, the drugs were linked to better heart health, fewer infections, lower risk of drug abuse and lower incidences of dementia. It’s also been shown to improve sleep apnoea, arthritis and substance abuse. 

BBC

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Emirates Specialty Hospital Expands Cancer Care Services in Dubai with Opening of Dedicated Chemotherapy Unit

New facility at Dubai Healthcare City aims to improve access to specialised cancer treatment, bringing personalised oncology care and medical expertise together under one roof

Dubai, UAE: Emirates Specialty Hospital in Dubai Healthcare City has announced the opening of a dedicated chemotherapy unit within its Emirates Oncology Centre, marking a significant expansion of its cancer care services and strengthening access to specialised oncology treatment for patients in Dubai.

The newly established unit has been designed to provide chemotherapy treatments in a dedicated clinical setting, with an emphasis on patient safety, individualised treatment plans and continuous medical support throughout the cancer care journey.

The opening comes as healthcare providers increasingly recognise the importance of delivering cancer treatment through a coordinated, multidisciplinary approach that addresses not only the disease itself but also the physical and emotional challenges patients may experience during treatment.

For many cancer patients, chemotherapy involves repeated hospital visits, ongoing medical assessments and careful monitoring of treatment responses and potential side effects. Access to a specialised facility supported by experienced oncology professionals can play an important role in ensuring continuity of care and helping patients navigate what is often a complex and demanding treatment journey.

Bringing specialised cancer treatment closer to patients

The Emirates Oncology Centre brings together medical expertise and patient-focused services to support individuals undergoing cancer treatment.

The oncology services are supervised by Prof. Dr. Marwan Ghosn, Consultant Medical Oncologist, and Dr. Mohamed Elbassyouny Alawy, Specialist Medical Oncology, who oversee the delivery of specialised oncology care.

Treatment plans are developed according to each patient’s diagnosis, medical condition and individual clinical needs, with an emphasis on evidence-based medical practice, careful monitoring and appropriate supportive care.

The dedicated chemotherapy unit forms part of the hospital’s broader strategy to strengthen its specialised medical services while maintaining high standards of clinical quality and patient safety.

Cancer care goes beyond chemotherapy

While chemotherapy remains an important treatment option for many types of cancer, oncology care increasingly requires a comprehensive approach that considers each patient’s overall health, treatment tolerance and quality of life.

Patients receiving chemotherapy may experience a range of challenges, including fatigue, nausea, changes in appetite and other treatment-related effects that require ongoing medical attention.

The Emirates Oncology Centre places particular emphasis on supporting patients throughout these challenges, with treatment decisions guided by clinical assessment and individual patient needs.

The approach reflects a growing shift in cancer care towards personalised treatment, where medical teams consider the characteristics of the disease alongside the patient’s health, circumstances and treatment goals.

Equally important is the need for clear communication between doctors, patients and their families, particularly when discussing treatment options, expected outcomes and possible side effects.

By placing patients at the centre of clinical decision-making, the hospital aims to provide a treatment experience built around medical expertise, informed choices and compassionate care.

Strengthening Dubai’s specialised healthcare services

The opening of the chemotherapy unit represents another step in Emirates Specialty Hospital’s ongoing efforts to expand its clinical capabilities and provide comprehensive healthcare services within Dubai Healthcare City.

As demand for specialised healthcare continues to evolve, the availability of dedicated oncology facilities is increasingly important in supporting timely access to treatment and ensuring patients can receive appropriate care within an established hospital environment.

The hospital said the new unit reflects its commitment to investing in specialised medical services and improving the overall patient experience through coordinated care, experienced healthcare professionals and a strong focus on clinical safety.

With the opening of the dedicated chemotherapy unit, Emirates Specialty Hospital aims to further strengthen its role in providing specialised cancer care in Dubai, offering patients and their families access to personalised treatment and medical support at every stage of their journey.

For more information please visit our website : Emirates Hospitals Dubai – Best Hospital in Dubai, Top Rated

About Emirates Specialty Hospital

Located in Dubai Healthcare City, Emirates Specialty Hospital is a multidisciplinary healthcare facility providing a range of specialised medical and surgical services. The hospital continues to expand its clinical capabilities, with a focus on medical expertise, patient-centred care and high standards of healthcare quality and safety.

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When Rheumatoid Arthritis Threatened Her Independence: How the Right Diagnosis Helped Her Get Her Life Back

For a 45-year-old UAE resident, persistent pain and swelling turned out to be rheumatoid arthritis. Early recognition and treatment helped her return to work, driving and the family life she feared she might lose.

For Dilini Ayesha, driving is much more than a job.

For the 45-year-old mother of two, who has lived in the UAE for 16 years, driving is a profession she has built her independence around. For the past eight years, she has worked as a driving instructor at Emirates Driving Institute, including as a VIP instructor training people to drive larger vehicles and four-wheel drives.

She is also a mother to an adopted daughter and a five-year-old son.

So when unexplained pain and swelling suddenly began affecting her hands, her greatest fear was not simply the pain itself. It was the possibility that rheumatoid arthritis might prevent her from continuing to work and caring for her family independently.

Her journey began with what appeared to be an unrelated injury.

In December 2024, Dilini fell and injured her knee while helping a recovery truck load her vehicle. Several months later, she suffered another fall at home, causing a more significant knee injury. Following an MRI, she underwent ACL reconstruction and meniscal repair and spent around two and a half months recovering.

She was looking forward to returning to her normal routine.

But shortly after returning to work, she developed severe swelling and pain in both hands.

“At first, I thought it might be connected to my surgery or that it would settle down,” Dilini recalls. “But the pain kept getting worse.”

She was prescribed different painkillers, but the symptoms continued to progress. She eventually found herself struggling to grip a steering wheel or use her hands normally.

“For me, the pain felt like 15 out of 10,” she says. “I know that isn’t a normal pain scale, but that is honestly how it felt.”

The physical pain was accompanied by something else: fear.

“What if I can’t drive anymore? What if I can’t work anymore? How will I take care of my children?”

It was at this point that Dilini was referred to Dr Muhammad Azhar Abdullah, Consultant Rheumatologist at NMC Royal Hospital Sharjah.

Rather than assuming that the symptoms were simply part of her recovery from the knee injury, Dr Azhar investigated the underlying cause.

Clinical assessment and blood investigations pointed towards rheumatoid arthritis (RA) — a chronic autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks the lining of the joints, causing inflammation, pain and swelling.

“Rheumatoid arthritis is not simply wear and tear of the joints,” explains Dr Azhar. “It is an inflammatory autoimmune disease, and if the inflammation remains uncontrolled, it can progressively damage the joints. It can also be associated with problems affecting other parts of the body.”

For Dilini, receiving a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis finally provided an explanation for what was happening to her body.

“Having an answer was important to me,” she says. “When you don’t know what is happening to your own body, the fear becomes even bigger.”

Why recognising rheumatoid arthritis early matters

Rheumatoid arthritis can present differently from person to person, but persistent joint swelling, prolonged morning stiffness, pain and difficulty moving the affected joints should not simply be dismissed as ageing, overuse or ordinary aches and pains.

One important distinction is that not all arthritis is rheumatoid arthritis. Osteoarthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis and other inflammatory rheumatic diseases can produce joint symptoms, but their causes and treatments are different.

That is why identifying the underlying condition matters.

In Dilini’s case, identifying rheumatoid arthritis allowed treatment to be started without waiting for further progression.

“Once we identified that she was dealing with rheumatoid arthritis, the priority was to control the inflammation and prevent further problems,” says Dr Azhar. “The aim of treatment in rheumatoid arthritis is not simply to reduce pain temporarily. It is to control the underlying disease, protect joint function and help the patient maintain her quality of life and independence.”

Her improvement was gradual rather than an overnight transformation.

Over the following weeks, the inflammation and pain began to settle. Her hand function and mobility improved, and by around the third week, Dilini was able to return to work.

She could once again hold the steering wheel.

She could work.

And she could return home and care for her children independently.

“I felt like I had been given my life back,” she says.

When treating rheumatoid arthritis means protecting a person’s dreams

This year’s World Arthritis Day campaign theme, “Achieve Your Dreams,” highlights the aspirations and goals of people living with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. For Dilini, her dream was not complicated.

It was to continue working, driving and being there for her children.

Her experience demonstrates why early recognition of rheumatoid arthritis matters. The disease can cause permanent joint damage if inflammation remains uncontrolled, while it may also have effects beyond the joints.

“Patients sometimes wait because they think joint pain is something they simply have to live with,” says Dr Azhar. “Persistent swelling, prolonged morning stiffness or unexplained joint pain deserve medical assessment, particularly when symptoms are affecting everyday activities. The earlier we identify rheumatoid arthritis, the earlier we can discuss appropriate treatment and work towards controlling the disease.”

Today, Dilini is back behind the wheel and back to the life she feared she might lose.

“I am driving. I am working. I am taking care of my children,” she says. “I don’t take any of those things for granted anymore.”

Her message to others is simple:

“If you are experiencing unexplained pain, swelling or stiffness, please don’t ignore it. Get yourself checked. Sometimes, getting the right answer can be the beginning of getting your life back.”

For Dilini, that diagnosis did more than explain her symptoms.

It helped protect the life she had worked so hard to build.

Dr Muhammad Azhar Abdullah is Consultant Rheumatologist at NMC Royal Hospital Sharjah.

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Saudi German Hospital Dubai Launches Mental Health and Wellness Center for Children and Adolescents

Saudi German Hospital Dubai Launches Mental Health and Wellness Center for Children and Adolescents

A comprehensive care system aligned with the Dubai Mental Wealth Framework

Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 10 October 2026

Saudi German Hospital Dubai has launched the Saudi German Mental Health & Wellness Hub, unveiled at an evening event at Raffles The Palm on 9 October 2026. The Hub is designed to end the fragmented experience many families face when navigating mental healthcare by bringing psychiatrists, psychologists and relevant hospital specialties together around a single, shared plan for each patient.

The Hub is designed as an ecosystem of comprehensive care, connecting prevention, early identification, specialist assessment, treatment, family support and ongoing follow-up through one coordinated plan for each patient. The model aligns with Dubai’s Mental Wealth Framework and its emphasis on prevention, early intervention, access to care and community wellbeing.

Child and adolescent mental health sits at the centre of the model. The Hub operates on the conviction that a child’s difficulties cannot be understood in isolation from their home, classroom and development, and that care should reflect all three.

Supporting children and families from the start

Services available at launch for children and adolescents include comprehensive psychiatric and psychological assessment; support for emotional, behavioural and developmental concerns; psychoeducational assessments for learning difficulties; ADHD assessment and management; and ASD assessment with individualised support across communication, social interaction and behaviour. Parent guidance and, where appropriate and with consent, collaboration with schools are built into the pathway — not offered as an afterthought.

Mental health care across every stage of life

Adult and older adult services include psychiatric assessment, medication management and individual therapy; treatment for depression, anxiety, OCD and related conditions; trauma-informed care for PTSD; geriatric psychiatry; couples and family counselling; addiction assessment and treatment; and community mental health education.

Speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and further developmental programmes are in development and will be confirmed once clinical staffing and readiness are in place.

Dr Ahmed Eissa, Group CEO of Saudi German Health UAE, said: “Many families come to us after years of seeing different specialists who never spoke to each other. A child gets one diagnosis here, a referral there, and the parents are left to hold it all together. We designed this Hub as an ecosystem of comprehensive care, bringing psychiatry, psychology and related specialties together around one plan, from early identification to treatment, follow-up and family support. This approach supports the objectives of Dubai’s Mental Wealth Framework and helps more people access coordinated mental healthcare at every stage of life.”

The Hub’s clinical team brings expertise in adult, child and adolescent, and addiction psychiatry; clinical psychology; psychoeducational and neurodevelopmental assessment; psychotherapy; and couples and family counselling. Team members carry international experience from the UAE, Australia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt, with a specific commitment to culturally and linguistically responsive care.

As part of Saudi German Hospital Dubai, the Hub has direct access to other medical specialties when physical and mental health needs intersect — an advantage that standalone clinics cannot easily replicate.

________________________________________

About Saudi German Health UAE

Saudi German Health UAE is part of the regional Saudi German Health network, providing hospital, multidisciplinary and specialist medical services through its facilities in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman. Guided by its Caring Like Family philosophy, the group places people and their needs at the centre of the healthcare experience.

For more information or to book an appointment

www.saudigerman.com/psychiatry-mental-health-clinics/

Call: 800 2211

Media Contact

Awareness Marketing Management DWC LLC

Mourad Alsayed

murad.mustafa@awarenessupr.com | +971 58 814 4155

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