Worried that your Ozempic is becoming less effective over time? Don’t worry — you’re still eating less, even if you are feeling a bit hungrier, a new study says. People on semaglutide for weight loss continue to eat less even after they’ve taken the drug for more than a year, researchers report in the August issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
While some of the drug’s early reduction of hunger and food-related thoughts wanes over time, people continue to eat substantially fewer calories compared to others provided a placebo, researchers found.
“Many patients worry that their medication has stopped working if they notice some return of hunger after the first several months,” said lead author Jena Tronieri, a senior research investigator at the Center for Weight and Eating Disorders at Penn Medicine in Philadelphia.
“Our findings show that even when people feel some of those sensations returning, semaglutide continues to help them eat less,” she said in a news release. “That sustained reduction in calorie intake appears to be a key reason why weight loss is maintained over time.”
The 60-week clinical trial involved 120 people who were overweight or obese. They were randomly assigned to receive a once-weekly 2.4-milligram dose of semaglutide or a placebo injection. All participants also received regular lifestyle counseling focused on a healthy diet and exercise.
At regular intervals, participants completed a five-hour lab assessment of their appetite. After eating a standard breakfast, they were offered lunch and told to eat until they felt comfortably full.
Semaglutide patients consistently ate fewer calories throughout the study compared to the placebo group. Overall, people on semaglutide ate 24 percent to 30 percent fewer calories, the study found.
People taking semaglutide also lost an average of 15 percent of their body weight during the 60-week trial, compared to a little over 3 percent for those on placebo.
Interestingly, these results occurred even though participants’ hunger, appetite and food preoccupation wound up at about the same level from week 40 on, researchers said.
“This study highlights an important distinction between people’s perceptions of their appetite and how they actually eat,” senior researcher Thomas Wadden, a professor of psychology in psychiatry at Penn Medicine, said in a news release.
“People taking semaglutide for weight loss often notice dramatic reductions in hunger and food noise when they begin this treatment. If those sensations gradually become less noticeable, some may incorrectly assume the medication is no longer effective,” he said.
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The findings should encourage patients, researchers suggested.
“Our results suggest that patients may experience a partial return of appetite sensations over time, without losing the medication’s benefit of continuing to reduce calorie intake, which is needed to maintain their new, lower body weight,” Tronieri said.
“Understanding that can help set realistic expectations and may encourage people to stay on treatment long term, as approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and recommended by the treatment guidelines of numerous professional societies,” she added.
The study was funded by semaglutide manufacturer Novo Nordisk.
Research shows that Black adults experience disproportionately higher rates of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Weight management is often more complicated because of factors beyond willpower, including stress, food access, neighborhood environments, chronic inflammation, and genetics.
Research explaining how GLP-1 medications work may help healthcare providers better personalize obesity treatment instead of assuming weight loss is only about feeling less hungry. It’s important to remember that obesity is a chronic medical condition, not a personal failure.
RELATED: Taking Ozempic or Zepbound? Don’t Let Weight Loss Replace Movement
Not everyone responds to medications and other treatments the same way. Weight loss clinical trials can help researchers improve future obesity treatments for diverse populations. Black adults have been historically underrepresented in many clinical trials despite being disproportionately affected by obesity and diabetes. Participating in medical research may help improve future care for Black communities.
Visit BlackDoctor’s Clinical Trials Resource Center to learn about studies that may be recruiting in your area.
More information
Stanford Medicine has more on GLP-1 weight-loss drugs.
SOURCE: Penn Medicine, news release, July 21, 2026
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