Following the announcement of a study into the long-term effects of weight loss medications, UK Active and CIMSPA have issued a statement calling for a prevention strategy that includes physical activity.

The UK government is backing Health Innovation Manchester, the University of Manchester and Lilly to undertake a five-year study into the real-world effectiveness of using tirzepatide for weight loss, diabetes prevention and prevention of obesity-related complications.

Announced yesterday (14 October), the study will seek to increase the global evidence base on the long-term impact of weight loss medicines and potentially inform the UK’s care pathway approach to treating obesity.

Martin Rutter, professor of Cardiometabolic Medicine at University of Manchester, and principal investigator for the Greater Manchester study, said it aims to demonstrate the long-term efficacy and safety profile of tirzepatide in a primary care setting.

“It will specifically quantify the medicine’s long-term effects on obesity, diabetes incidence, and obesity-related complications, as well as its impacts on employment and health economic outcomes,” he says.

In response, UK Active and CIMSPA have called on the government to invest fully in a prevention strategy that includes physical activity.

“The government has a generational opportunity to invest fully in a prevention strategy for the health of the nation,” says the statement.

“Advances in medicine have a vital role to play for people suffering from the severest forms of obesity, but the national adoption of weight-loss drugs is no substitute for a strategy that encompasses physical activity and diet too.

“The Health Secretary has spoken of the importance of exercise as part of the solution, but the government needs to set out how this announcement sits within a full prevention strategy.

“Given the UK's health crisis, there is a danger of quick-fix solutions taking priority, so we urge the government to harness the power of physical activity, which has been proven to prevent more than 20 chronic conditions, including type 2 diabetes, obesity, heart disease, many cancers, anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions.

“Physical activity and weight-loss drugs are not mutually exclusive, as already demonstrated by many patients who quickly regain weight after they stop taking GLP-1.

“This model of treating people requires further testing, as shown by the pilot scheme in Manchester, and the complementary role of exercise and diet will be crucial for the long-term success of any weight-loss programme.

“We want to work with the government to develop the required guidance for patients, our facilities and our workforce for supporting GLP-1 patients with exercise.

“Obesity is one of the symptoms of our nation’s poor physical and mental health, so we need to understand what plans the Government has for driving sustainable change.

“Previous governments have taken a short-term focus, and it is about time prevention is viewed as the cure, rather than waiting until people’s health conditions decline so much that they are left with no other choice than to turn to drugs and hospitals.”

Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi – who is working with both UK Active and Future Fit on plans to ensure the fitness sector is part of this conversation and ready to work with clients taking these medications – is contributing to an upcoming feature in HCM on the subject.

Al-Zubaidi says the fitness sector should be looking to establish partnerships with healthcare professionals to create a unified voice on the role of physical activity in supporting those on these medications, as well as launching public awareness campaigns, share research and engage with the media and lobbying organisations.