Adapting to the GLP-1 Fitness Landscape

Among the invaluable insights we gained from the 200+ exhibitors and speakers in attendance at Elevate this year, one of the standout sessions was undoubtedly NHS GP, diabetes and weight management specialist Dr. Hussain Al-Zubaidi’s compelling talk on one of healthcare’s most debated topics in health right now: 

 

Are GLP-1 medications the weight-loss solution we’ve been waiting for? 

 

The McKinsey Health Institute’s May 2025 report, ‘The path toward a metabolic health revolution‘, highlighted that the introduction of weight management drugs such as GLP-1s have brought the treatment of obesity to the forefront of public attention, provoking a larger opportunity to work toward metabolic health for all. 

 

 GLP-1 medications are helping to reframe obesity as a treatable medical condition rather than a chronic inevitability. This shift is inspiring significant investment and innovation across healthcare, medtech, nutrition, and beyond.

 

The numbers: 

• Nearly 900 million adults around the world are living with obesity – its root causes are complex and interconnected—including sedentary lifestyles, high-calorie diets, genetics, socioeconomic conditions, and environmental influences. 

• This poses substantial risk factor for at least 20 diseases or conditions that include diabetes, cardiovascular conditions, and brain health disorders 

• Six and a half billion years of life will likely be lost globally due to premature deaths caused by obesity’s health effects 

• Economically, it could be linked to $2.76 trillion in lost GDP each year in 2050 

• At an individual level, moderate obesity can reduce one’s life expectancy by about three years, while severe obesity can reduce life expectancy by about ten years. For comparison, cigarette smoking reduces life expectancy from seven to 10 years. 

 

Achieving metabolic health for all requires five major shifts:  

1) Advancing scientific understanding of metabolic health 

2) Improving transparency through better measurement and tracking 

3) Using technology for personalized interventions 

4) Aligning economic incentives to make metabolic health more investable, thereby making healthy choices easier and more affordable 

5) Driving societal change through education and community engagement 

 

The fitness and leisure sector sits at the intersection of these pillars, with professionals uniquely positioned to deliver community-based lifestyle interventions and drive sustainable behaviour change that transforms both individual and public health outcomes.  

 

The use of medications such as GLP-1 enables society to potentially pursue a broader vision that prioritizes prevention, societal shifts, and metabolic health.

 

However, Dr. Hussain revealed a critical reminder: medication alone isn’t the answer.  

 

This presents a clear opportunity for the sector. Research shows that lifestyle interventions such as adopting healthy eating habits and regular exercise aren’t just helpful to GLP-1 success rates, they are essential. With the number of UK adults prescribed GLP-1s rapidly growing and eligibility expected to expand to over 3 million in the next three years (NHS England), many of these individuals are already walking through the doors of your leisure centres and gyms – often without your team knowing how best to support them. This uncertainty can lead to missed opportunities for engagement, ineffective programming, or even unintended harm, all of which can be avoided with targeted, accessible training.  

 

That’s why Future Fit have co-developed the UK’s first and only dedicated GLP-1 education for sport and physical activity professionals alongside Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi, designed to equip your workforce with the knowledge and confidence they need to support these clients. 

 

To learn more about our Navigating GLP-1 course, and how this training can benefit your team, check out the link here.