The Ozempic craze is hitting the fitness industry.
Latest: According to Jeff Zwiefel, Lifetime’s president and chief operating officer, the gym chain will: Pilot the program To prescribe weight loss injections to members.
The initiative will allow medical professionals to provide obesity medication to clubs “in-house” in collaboration with members’ GPs, gym trainers and nutritionists.
to be decided. Although cost and rollout details were not disclosed, Zwiefel said the program will include blood tests and follow FDA guidelines on increasing physical activity, a standard that some insurance companies require to cover costs. ) stated that it would satisfy.
If we can’t beat them… Obesity rate in the United States approaches 50%; majority The prescription market is huge, given the number of adults who want to try GLP-1s like Ozempic.
Meanwhile, companies are being forced to adapt as attitudes toward weight management shift from emphasizing behavioral change and willpower to emphasizing the role of biology and the environment.
This spring, WeightWatchers acquired Sequence, a telemedicine platform for prescribing GLP-1. Despite the decline in subscribers, the company’s stock price has increased by up to 80% since the deal closed.
And in May, Noom launched Noom Med, a new program that offers obesity drugs along with a weight loss app.
ending: Accepting the reality that anyone who qualifies will likely choose treatment, Lifetime believes that programs that combine prescription and physical activity are the gateway to exercise and the gateway to additional revenue. Masu. As big food and health care face the Ozempic effect, the success of the gym model could force other fitness brands to reevaluate their stance on weight loss.
