By RK Shih / Staff
Image via KMU Gangshan Hospital.
Kaohsiung (高雄) has one of the highest obesity rates among Taiwan’s major cities. According to the Sports Administration’s annual ranking, Kaohsiung had the highest adult overweight/obesity rate among Taiwan’s six special municipalities: 41.3 % last year. Among students in Kaohsiung, the obesity rate at the junior-high school level was 39.19% for males and 27.47% for females — the highest among comparable jurisdictions.
But, doctors say there isn’t a quick fix for shedding kilos, despite a new “wonder drug.”
Physicians based at the KMU Gangshan Hospital (高醫岡山醫院) are warning that the fast weight-loss effects of Mounjaro (猛健樂) often reverse just as quickly if patients do not change their eating and exercise habits.
Dr. Lee Mei-yueh (李美月), director of endocrinology at KMU Gangshan Hospital, said a 36-year-old woman with obesity dropped from 85 to 68 kilograms in three months using weekly injections combined with light diet control. But after stopping the drug for four months, her weight rebounded to 79 kilograms due to restored appetite, muscle loss, and a lower metabolic rate.
In another case, a 42-year-old diabetic patient lost 22 kilograms in a year but regained 10 kilograms within three months after stopping treatment and returning to old habits.
Lee said studies show Mounjaro users lose 15–22% of body weight on average, but roughly one-quarter of that loss is muscle. About 60% of patients regain weight within a year of stopping the drug.
Mounjaro, a dual-action GIP/GLP-1 drug originally for type-2 diabetes, is approved for patients with a BMI over 30, or over 27 with related conditions. It is not recommended for people with a history of medullary thyroid cancer, pancreatitis, severe kidney disease, or for pregnant or breastfeeding patients.
Lee warned against online purchases, noting that proper storage, authenticity, and stability cannot be guaranteed. She urged patients to consult physicians, gradually adjust dosage, and monitor for nausea, constipation, low blood sugar, and other side effects.
According to a Liberty Times report, Dr. Lee stressed that long-term results require strength training, sufficient protein intake, and consistent sleep and eating habits: “Mounjaro is a medical tool—not a miracle shot.”
