What happens to your body and mind when luck, recovery and weight loss collide? New research has answers

Check out Tuesday's Daily Dose from 3News Senior Health Correspondent Monica Robins...

Stopping your weight loss medication? You may not regain as much as you think

If you've stopped taking a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, or Zepbound — or you're worried about what happens if you have to — new research offers a more encouraging picture than previous studies suggested.

In one of the largest real-world analyses of its kind, Cleveland Clinic researchers studied nearly 8,000 adults in Ohio and Florida who stopped taking semaglutide or tirzepatide within three to 12 months of starting. Earlier randomized clinical trials had shown patients regained more than half their lost weight within a year of stopping. But this study, published in the journal Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, told a different story.

Nearly half — 45% — of patients in the obesity group either kept losing weight or stayed the same one year after stopping. Those treated for obesity regained an average of just 0.5% of their body weight. Those treated for type 2 diabetes actually lost an additional 1.3%.

So what made the difference? Researchers say it comes down to what patients did next. Rather than simply stopping and doing nothing, many stayed engaged in their care. About 20% restarted their original medication. Another 27% switched to a different obesity treatment. Fourteen percent continued working with healthcare professionals like dietitians and exercise specialists. A small number pursued bariatric surgery.

In total, roughly half of all patients pursued some form of continued obesity care after stopping — and researchers believe that ongoing engagement is the key reason weight regain was lower than expected.

The number one reason patients stopped in the first place? Cost. Insurance coverage limitations were the dominant factor, followed by side effects. Notably, patients being treated for type 2 diabetes were more likely to restart their medication — likely because insurance coverage for diabetes-related prescriptions tends to be more consistent than coverage for obesity treatment.

The takeaway for patients is straightforward: if you have to stop your GLP-1 medication, don't give up on your weight management journey. Talk to your doctor about what comes next — because the evidence suggests that staying engaged, in whatever form that takes, makes a real difference.

A safer option for treating opioid use disorder during pregnancy

For pregnant women struggling with opioid use disorder, a new treatment option may offer better outcomes — for both mother and baby.

A clinical trial supported by the National Institutes of Health found that weekly injectable extended-release buprenorphine led to significantly higher rates of abstinence from illicit opioids during pregnancy compared to the standard daily dissolving tablet taken under the tongue. The findings were published in JAMA Internal Medicine.

The study enrolled 140 pregnant adults who were randomly assigned to receive either the weekly injection or the standard daily sublingual buprenorphine. Researchers found that not only did the injectable group show higher abstinence rates during pregnancy, but serious maternal adverse events were also less common in that group throughout the trial. Outcomes for newborns were similar between both groups.

The standard daily tablet has long been an effective treatment, but it comes with real-world challenges — including risk of misuse, inconsistent adherence, and daily fluctuations in medication levels that can leave patients more vulnerable to cravings and continued opioid use. The weekly injection addresses many of those concerns by delivering a steady, consistent level of medication without the daily dosing requirement.

Researchers called the findings immediately clinically applicable — meaning doctors can act on this information now. For pregnant patients and their care teams managing opioid use disorder, this longer-acting formulation represents a meaningful new tool.

Untreated opioid use disorder during pregnancy carries serious risks, including risk of fatal overdose for the mother and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome in the newborn. Having effective, evidence-based treatment options is critical — and this study adds important new evidence to that conversation.

If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available 24 hours a day. Call or text 988, or visit FindTreatment.gov.

The science of lucky charms is real — and it starts in your mind

With Saint Patrick's Day here, you might find yourself reaching for a lucky charm, crossing your fingers, or slipping on those lucky socks before a big moment. Turns out, there's actual science behind why that works — and it has nothing to do with magic.

A psychologist at Cleveland Clinic explains that lucky charms and rituals are genuinely helpful — not because they hold any supernatural power, but because of what they do to your mindset. When you believe something brings you luck, it gives you a sense of control. That sense of control leads to a more positive outlook. And a more positive outlook makes you more likely to take the kinds of actions that lead to better outcomes.

Think about wearing your lucky socks to a job interview. The socks don't get you the job — but the confidence boost they give you might.

The flip side is equally important. Believing you're unlucky — telling yourself that things always go wrong, or that you're somehow jinxed — can create a self-fulfilling cycle of negative outcomes. The belief shapes the behavior, and the behavior shapes the result.

For anyone stuck in that pattern of negative thinking, a simple but effective cognitive technique can help: write down the negative thought, then write its opposite. If your inner voice says "I am always unlucky," the reframe becomes "I am one of the luckiest people I know." Repeating positive affirmations regularly can gradually reinforce a healthier, more resilient mindset.

Of course, if negative thinking feels constant or overwhelming — beyond what a lucky charm or a positive mantra can address — it may be worth checking in with a mental health professional.

So this Saint Patrick's Day, go ahead and carry that four-leaf clover. Just know that the real luck? It's already inside you.

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