With close to three billion adults globally living with overweight or obesity, a cross-sector coalition argues that pharmaceutical treatment without structured lifestyle support risks worsening health inequalities and delivering only short-term results.
A coalition of seven international health and fitness organizations has called on governments and health systems to integrate physical activity and nutrition support into the global rollout of obesity medications, including GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) therapies.The statement was issued jointly by the World Obesity Federation, the Health & Fitness Association (HFA, formerly IHRSA), AUSactive, Exercise New Zealand, the Fitness Industry Council of Canada (FIC), ukactive and the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI).
It is one of the most coordinated calls to action the fitness and sporting goods sectors have produced on obesity medication, and signals an intent to position these industries as structural partners in healthcare delivery, rather than peripheral wellness providers.
Medication alone carries three compounding risks, the coalition warns
The organizations’ central argument is that pharmacological treatment, without parallel investment in lifestyle infrastructure, is unlikely to deliver strong long-term outcomes. The joint statement identifies three specific risks: loss of muscle mass, reduced functional capacity, and widening health inequalities if access to supporting services remains limited or uneven.
This is framed as a clinical argument, not merely a commercial one. GLP-1 therapies represent a meaningful step forward in obesity care, the organizations acknowledge, but they work best within what the coalition terms a “wraparound” model. This combines drug treatment with sustained access to physical activity, nutrition guidance, and community-based programming.
The scale of the underlying problem adds urgency. Close to three billion adults globally are currently overweight or living with obesity, and research projects the figure could reach four billion by 2035.
Fitness infrastructure is already in place – but governments must fund the integration
A recurring theme across the statement is that the fitness sector already has the physical infrastructure to support GLP-1 patients, but that infrastructure needs formal integration into health care pathways and public funding mechanisms.
Huw Edwards, CEO, ukactive, stated: “We have the infrastructure of gyms, swimming pools, leisure centers, and other fitness services in every community, ready to support GLP-1 patients during and after treatment.”
Emma Zwiebler, CEO, WFSGI, drew a line between the sporting goods industry’s strategic interest and a genuine health system commitment: “Growing sport, physical activity and movement is a strategic priority for our 150+ World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry members who are committed to driving unified and systemic impact to empower more people [to] be physically active and enjoying the health benefits that brings.”
Johanna Ralston, CEO, World Obesity Federation, was direct on the limits of medication without support structures: “GLP-1 therapies are an important advance in obesity care, but they cannot succeed in isolation. Governments must ensure these treatments are embedded within comprehensive, person-centered systems of care.”
What the coalition is asking governments to commit to
The joint statement sets out five concrete demands for governments and health system leaders:
- Embed obesity medications within integrated care models that include funded access to physical activity and nutrition support;
- protect and expand investment in prevention infrastructure and community-based programs;
- ensure equitable access to both treatment and supportive services;
- measure outcomes beyond weight, including functional health and long-term maintenance;
- align health and economic policy to reflect the measurable value of prevention.
WFSGI’s signature opens a commercial door for sporting goods brands
The WFSGI’s presence in this coalition is notable: its participation aims to align the sporting goods sector with the public health debate around GLP-1 treatment, and to argue that sporting goods brands, fitness equipment manufacturers, and health club operators have a legitimate seat at the policy table.The statement also arrives as the fitness sector continues to work through a post-pandemic recalibration, in which the convergence of wellness, nutrition, and physical activity is already reshaping product development, brand positioning, and partnership strategies across the industry.
