Making Space for GLP-1 Medications in Your Health and Wellness Program
Despite some of the known side effects, weight loss drugs continue to increase in popularity—these GLP-1 medications, known by their brand names Ozempic or Wegovy, are catching consumer attention for their positive outcomes for those seeking weight loss support. According to a recent Medical News Today article, one GLP-1 study that explored weight fluctuations in comparison to duration of taking GLP-1s found that after adjusting for age, sex and BMI, the longer people used GLP-1s, the more they lost weight successfully at all the follow-up time points of the study.
What are GLP-1s?
GLP-1 drugs are a class of medications used for blood sugar regulation. Glucagon-like peptide-1 is a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar and appetite. The hormone stimulates the release of insulin to slow gastric emptying, which can contribute to feelings of satiety and ultimately lower food intake. The GLP-1 drugs mimic the action of the hormone, resulting in weight loss for many on these fairly new—and widely popular—medications.
Just how widely popular?
A 2024 KFF Health Tracking Poll finds that about one in eight adults (12%) say they have taken a GLP-1; and 6% say they are currently taking such a drug.
Incorporating GLP-1s Into Your Wellness Program
For your employees who are taking GLP-1 drugs, critical wellness education and intervention is required to prevent muscle and bone loss, disease onset and energy loss:
Protect Muscle and Bone - and Help Prevent Disease: There is much more to health and wellness than losing excess weight. Extreme weight loss includes some body fat loss, but it also includes losing valuable muscle needed to protect one's strength, mobility and bone health if there is no intervention in place to help prevent this. Individuals on GLP-1s tend to have low intake of valuable nutrients that can help prevent onset of chronic disease. Your employees taking GLP-1s may find it more difficult to get a balanced food and nutrient intake because they just are not hungry. Every bite needs to be packed with protein, fiber and other valuable nutrients to offset muscle loss, bone loss and disease risk. Employees on these drugs need a wellness program that encourages excess fat loss but that also encourages intake of critical nutrients.
Loss of Energy: Further, employees need a certain amount of food to have energy to focus on completing their tasks. Since they are not feeling hungry due to taking these weight loss medications - accompanied by a mindset of the less they eat, the more weight they lose - energy levels tank, and they are lethargic, negatively affecting their work.
Must-Have Nutrition Education and Support: The fact that they are losing weight so readily, regardless of what they eat, means they are perhaps less motivated to eat health-promoting foods or change previous unhealthy habits that encouraged their initial weight gain. The bottom line is that without ongoing nutrition education and support, they may keep eating ultra-processed, low-nutrient foods without adopting new, health-promoting ways of living. Yet, they desperately need these new habits to offset weight gain (predominantly fat weight) when they stop taking the medications and regain their appetite.
Effective health and wellness programs are designed to work for a wide variety of people with different life situations, including those who are taking medications to aid in weight loss. You’ll want to ensure your program covers and incorporates the most impactful evidence-based ways for participants to take charge of their weight and health to best set up your employees for long-term health and wellness, whether they are on GLP-1s short-term or long-term.
Offer your employees a group health and wellness program that focuses on improving their nutrition, health, weight and wellness. Help them achieve their weight loss goals through strategic wellness programs that make room for GLP-1s in your employees’ weight loss plan. Nutrition education is a critical program component to help them adopt steps towards losing excess inches, and preventing and reversing chronic disease.
The 12-Fix Program: Taking Employees’ GLP-1 Medications Into Account
The 12-Fix Program meets employees where they are at - including those who are taking GLP-1 drugs. The 12-Fix Program takes a non-diet approach to wellness in a Challenge format that is based on a whole-food lifestyle. Help them lose fat weight while protecting their muscle and bones. Support them in the need to eat nutrient-packed food to reduce their risk of disease. Participants start by adopting just one new Fix; additional Fixes are introduced one at a time throughout a 12-week time period.
A registered dietitian nutritionist leads groups in implementing each of the 12 Fixes, in turn, using the 12 Fixes to Healthy book and 12 Fixes app. Together the participants concentrate on just one Fix and continue to add each of the 12 Fixes one at a time as the challenge continues for 12 weeks, allowing participants time to concentrate and adopt sustainable changes in their lives.
Why This Challenge Over Other Corporate Wellness Programs?
Makes space for employees taking GLP-1s - provides nutrition education in support of employee weight loss goals
Weekly wellness training sessions from a registered dietitian nutritionist
Wellness changes introduced strategically to maximize sustainable outcomes
Program built on building group camaraderie and support among your employees
User-friendly app that tracks participants’ progress and displays Challenge Program points
Daily support from dietitian via group’s communication platform
Practical, easy-to-adopt education and encouragement!
Contact me to learn more about the 12-Fix Program and how it supports your employees taking GPL-1s. Email me or schedule a few minutes to connect.
If you’re a dietitian interested in offering the 12-Fix Program, let’s talk!
