Feelings of Hunger Gradually Return With Semaglutide Use

THURSDAY, July 30, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Semaglutide sustains lower calorie intake for more than a year, even as feelings of hunger gradually return, according to a study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Jena S. Tronieri, Ph.D., from the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, and colleagues compared short- and long-term energy intake, appetite, and food reward with semaglutide. The analysis included 120 adults with overweight or obesity who were randomly assigned (3:2) to semaglutide 2.4 mg or placebo for 60 weeks.

The researchers found that the semaglutide group had significantly larger reductions from baseline in ad libitum energy intake versus placebo at weeks 20, 40, and 60, consuming a mean 291.9, 240.2, and 269.5 kcal less, respectively. Semaglutide-treated participants had significantly greater increases from baseline in appetite suppression after the standardized breakfast at week 20, as well as greater reductions in past-week hunger and food preoccupation. At weeks 40 or 60, the groups did not differ significantly in appetite outcomes. For responsiveness to the rewarding value of food, the semaglutide group had greater reductions at both weeks 20 and 40.

“Many patients worry that their medication has stopped working if they notice some return of hunger after the first several months,” Tronieri said in a statement. “Our findings show that even when people feel some of those sensations returning, semaglutide continues to help them eat less. That sustained reduction in calorie intake appears to be a key reason why weight loss is maintained over time.”

Two authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

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