The article titled “Healthy weight loss maintenance with exercise, GLP-1 receptor agonist, or both combined followed by one year without treatment: a post-treatment analysis of a randomised placebo-controlled trial” from eClinicalMedicine, explores the long-term effects of combining supervised exercise with obesity pharmacotherapy using a GLP-1 receptor agonist on maintaining weight loss after the cessation of treatment.
Conducted in Copenhagen, the study included adults with obesity who, after an initial weight loss induced by an eight-week low-calorie diet, were randomized to one-year weight loss maintenance with either supervised exercise, GLP-1 receptor agonist (liraglutide 3.0 mg daily), both, or a placebo. A total of 166 participants completed the maintenance phase, and 109 attended the post-treatment study to assess outcomes one year after treatment ended.
The findings revealed that participants who underwent the combined treatment of exercise and liraglutide experienced a significant reduction in body weight and body fat percentage one year after treatment cessation compared to those who received liraglutide alone.
Notably, the combination treatment group had a higher proportion of participants maintaining at least a 10% weight loss from their initial body weight after one year without treatment, outperforming both the placebo and liraglutide-only groups. In contrast, weight regain was significantly more considerable following the cessation of liraglutide treatment alone compared to the cessation of supervised exercise or the combination treatment.
This study underscores the potential benefits of adding supervised exercise to obesity pharmacotherapy for sustainable weight loss maintenance. The findings suggest that exercise not only complements the effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists in controlling weight but may also mitigate weight regain once the pharmacological treatment is stopped. The research highlights the importance of integrating behavioral changes, such as regular physical activity, into obesity management strategies to enhance long-term outcomes.
Funded by Helsefonden and the Novo Nordisk Foundation, this study contributes valuable insights into the ongoing efforts to address obesity, emphasizing the synergistic effects of combining pharmacological treatments with lifestyle interventions for enduring weight management.
Journal Reference – (N.d.). Retrieved from https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(24)00054-3/fulltext
