Experience with Tirzepatide and Weight Management During and After a Clinical Trial in Japanese Patients with Obesity Disease: A Qualitative Study

Most Japanese adults with obesity disease who had completed the 72-week SURMOUNT-J trial on tirzepatide said they kept changed eating behaviours after the trial ended, but many did not keep exercise changes and most reported poor appetite control. Three-quarters wanted to continue drug therapy. The study highlights unmet needs for information and connection to medical care.

Journal article — cross-sectional qualitative exit interview study. Population: Japanese adults with obesity disease who completed SURMOUNT-J. Sample size: 29 participants. Follow-up: 72 weeks. Interventions: tirzepatide once weekly.

Twenty-nine participants completed the interviews. During SURMOUNT-J, 75.9% reported appetite loss, 72.4% reported conscious eating habit changes, 62.1% had positive feelings associated with body weight loss, and 75.9% expressed willingness to continue drug therapy. After the trial, 51.7% maintained their eating behavior changes, 44.8% were not able to maintain exercise/physical activity changes, and 65.5% experienced poor appetite control. The interviews also suggested an unmet need to provide information to people with obesity disease and to connect them with appropriate medical interventions.

This paper adds patient-reported experience data from Japanese adults with obesity disease treated with tirzepatide in SURMOUNT-J, including what happened to eating and exercise behaviours after the trial ended. It is relevant for researchers studying tirzepatide's acceptability and support needs, but it does not establish efficacy, dosing, safety, or quantitative weight outcomes; it was qualitative and had no control arm.

Key findings

75.9% of participants experienced appetite loss during SURMOUNT-J.
72.4% experienced conscious eating habit changes during the trial.
75.9% expressed willingness to continue drug therapy.
After the trial, 51.7% maintained eating behavior changes, while 44.8% were not able to maintain exercise/physical activity changes.
65.5% experienced poor appetite control after the trial.

Limitations

Qualitative self-report data may be subject to recall and social desirability bias.
Small sample of 29 participants who completed SURMOUNT-J may not represent all tirzepatide-treated patients.
Cross-sectional, non-interventional design with no control group; cannot establish causality or quantify weight outcomes.
Findings are specific to the Japanese setting and may not generalize to other populations.

The record

Journal: Advances in therapy 43(9): 4218-4231
Published: 2026-06-23
PMID: 42334799 — DOI: 10.1007/s12325-026-03660-x
MeSH terms: Humans, Obesity, Weight Loss, Anti-Obesity Agents, Cross-Sectional Studies, Feeding Behavior, Qualitative Research, Adult, Middle Aged, Japan, Female, Male, East Asian People, Tirzepatide
Funding: Eli Lilly Japan; Tanabe Pharma Corporation
Author countries: Japan

Peptide profiles: Tirzepatide.

All indexed evidence: Tirzepatide trials & papers.