{
  "id": 2717796,
  "title": "Regaining pounds after weight loss medication linked to 4-fold rise in suicidal thoughts: study",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/regaining-pounds-after-weight-loss-medication-linked-to-4-fold-rise",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-08-23T04:52:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/southkorea/health/20260823/regaining-pounds-after-weight-loss-medication-linked-to-4-fold-rise-in-suicidal-thoughts-study"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A study conducted by a research team at Asan Medical Center revealed that individuals who regained weight after using weight loss medication were significantly more likely to experience suicidal thoughts, with a fourfold increase in risk. The research analyzed data from 27,741 adults, consisting of 10,908 men and 16,833 women, who participated in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2013 and 2022. The participants were divided into two groups: 846 individuals who had taken prescription weight loss medication in the past year, and 26,895 who had not. The study did not differentiate between types of medication used. Among those who took the medication, 22.1% experienced depressive feelings for at least two consecutive weeks, compared to 11.4% of non-users. A notable difference in mental health support-seeking behavior also emerged, with 8.4% of medication users seeking counseling, compared to 3.4% of non-users. Similar disparities were observed in other aspects of the data.",
  "summary": "People who have taken weight loss medication and regained weight afterward were more than four times as likely to have suicidal thoughts, highlighting mental health concerns tied to the medications. According to a study by a research team at Asan Medical Center on Sunday, people who took weight loss medication were 1.9 times more likely to experience depression and 2.7 times as likely to have…",
  "key_points": [
    "Individuals regaining weight after medication use had four times higher risk of suicidal thoughts.",
    "Study analyzed 27,741 adults from 2013-2022 Korea health survey.",
    "22.1% of medication users experienced depressive feelings vs. 11.4% non-users."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The finding that weight regain after using weight loss medication quadruples the risk of suicidal thoughts underscores a critical need for comprehensive mental health support for individuals struggling with weight management.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Regaining pounds after weight loss medication linked to 4-fold rise in suicidal thoughts: study",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/regaining-pounds-after-weight-loss-medication-linked-to-4-fold-rise-2719189",
        "published": "2026-08-23T05:02:04.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}