20th May 2026
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), in 2022 one in eight people globally were living with obesity, rates of which have more than doubled since 1990, while in adolescents, levels have increased fourfold. Meanwhile, in 2024, 35m children below the age of five were overweight. Numbers of those who are obese are set to hit four billion within a decade.
In the UK, more than one in four adults (28%) were living with obesity, while nearly two-thirds were either overweight or obese, as reported in The Lancet and by the BBC. And the country has western Europe’s highest obesity rates..
Aimed at helping to solve the problem, weight-loss jabs are prescription-only in the UK. They’re designed to curb appetite by making patients feel fuller for longer. The three main treatments currently available include Mounjaro, Saxenda and Wegovy. The NHS restricts access to these solutions and patients must meet very specific criteria, including having a high BMI or certain weight-related health conditions.
Collectively, these jabs are known as GLP-1 injections and are named after one of more than 30 gut hormones and which helps regulate appetite. For many, the impact of these treatments has been transformative. And the NHS is completing a significant expansion to make them more available to more patients in the future.
But now a group of international health and fitness organisations, including ukactive, has urged governments and healthcare systems to provide obesity treatments alongside funded physical activity and support with diet and nutrition, on the understanding that weight-loss jabs shouldn’t be viewed as standalone solutions.
A joint statement from the coalition, which includes the World Obesity Federation, calls for a global framework which integrates prevention, treatment and long-term health outcomes for those living with obesity. It adds that, while GLP-1 therapies represent a breakthrough, they must form part of a broader care package.
The group stresses that relying on medication alone could worsen long-term medical outcomes, for example via muscle loss, lower functional capacity and wider health inequalities where there is less access to support services. It calls for sustained investment in prevention, physical activity, nutrition and the creation of supportive environments.
It also urges consistent investment in community schemes to prevent obesity, aligned to economic policy. Equally, outcomes should not just measure weight alone.
Johanna Ralston, CEO of the World Obesity Federation, said: “GLP-1 therapies are an important advance in obesity care, but they cannot succeed in isolation.”
Meanwhile, Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, added: “The global rise of obesity medications must not be viewed as a substitute for physical activity and nutrition when in fact it heightens the need for these vital elements. Research highlights the risks of relying solely on weight-loss drugs and the critical need for physical activity and nutrition to form part of every treatment programme.
“We have the infrastructure of gyms, swimming pools, leisure centres and other fitness services in every community, ready to support GLP-1 patients during and after treatment.”
So if you or someone you know is using a GLP-1 weight-loss treatment, there’s a need to think carefully about combining it with a healthy, calorie-controlled diet and an appropriate workout regime.
One option you may not have considered, but which could prove highly effective, is to make regular use of your local outdoor gym. A facility like this is free to use, has none of the ‘Lycra culture’ of some of the indoor alternatives plus there should be one near you. Not only that, but you get to reap all the rewards of working out, outdoors as you enjoy a full-body workout, whatever your current fitness level.
At Fresh Air Fitness, we share the view that GLP-1 jabs, effective though they can be, should be combined with exercise and the right diet. We’ve previously written, about the importance of strength training to anyone following a GLP-1 weight-loss programme.
For nearly 20 years, we’ve provided award-winning outdoor gym equipment for schools, parks, local recreation grounds, residential settings and more. Our fully compliant pieces are of a superb quality, which is why we’re confident in offering a 25-year warranty on our outdoor exercise equipment products, all of which are UK-designed and built.
Get in touch to learn more about what we could do for your community, including those who may be following weight-loss jab schedules.
