Jillian Michaels, who is widely recognised for her fitness and health guidance, has shared a warning about weight loss medications as their popularity continues to surge.
As the warmer months approach, plenty of people looking to feel more confident for summer may be tempted to use prescription weight loss drugs to accelerate results.
Traditional weight loss methods — improving diet and keeping up a consistent exercise routine — remain the standard approach, but medications such as Mounjaro have become far more common in recent years.
Ozempic is also frequently discussed in the same conversation, though it’s important to note it has not been approved solely for weight loss and is primarily prescribed for people with diabetes.
Speaking about these drugs on the Club Random Podcast in 2024, Michaels pointed to something you “don’t want to believe” about them, explaining that around 50 percent of users report no side effects at first.
But she added that the other half can experience “vomiting, constipation or diarrhoea”.
Michaels noted that some people may see weight loss without any uncomfortable symptoms, which she described as the “best-case scenario”.
She then argued that, over time, weight loss drugs can “stop working” because of an “inevitable plateau”. While these medications are intended for long-term use, she said weight loss often levels off after one to two years — something podcast host Bill Maher said people “don’t want to believe”.
Related concerns were also highlighted by researchers at the University of Oxford, who found many people can regain a significant amount of weight after coming off GLP-1 medications.
Oxford researcher Dr Susan Jebb warned: “People buying these need to be aware of the risk of fast weight regain when the treatment ends.”
The team reported that, on average, patients regained 0.9kg after stopping the medication, with many returning to their pre-injection weight within 18 months.
Dr Sam West, from the University stated: “These medicines are transforming obesity treatment and can achieve important weight loss. However, our research shows that people tend to regain weight rapidly after stopping – faster than we see with behavioural programs.”
He continued: “This isn’t a failing of the medicines – it reflects the nature of obesity as a chronic, relapsing condition.
“It sounds a cautionary note for short-term use without a more comprehensive approach to long-term weight management, and highlights the importance of primary prevention.”