Equinox and “GLP-1 Protocols”
More than 1 in 3 men (34.1%) and more than 1 in 4 women (27.5%) are overweight, per The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.
In a world where time is finite, more people are turning to pharmaceutical drugs rather than sweating it out on the treadmill.
Manufacturers are reaping the benefits from soaring demand for Ozempic, Wegovy, and other GLP-1 prescription drugs for weight loss. Novo Nordisk, a multinational pharmaceutical company, generated nearly $14 billion from Ozempic sales and $4.5 billion from Wegovy sales in 2023.
While these drugs have been proven to help people lose weight, they also cause people to lose muscle mass. In a clinical trial of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, 140 participants lost about 15 pounds of lean muscle and 23 pounds of fat on average during the 68-week trial, per The New England Journal of Medicine.
Gyms are adjusting their strategies to support members who are taking weight loss drugs:
- Equinox debuted a GLP-1 Protocol centered around movement, nutrition, and regeneration to help its members achieve the best possible outcome with weight loss drugs
- Xponential Fitness acquired a chain of weight loss medical clinics in Southern California staffed with doctors who can prescribe GLP-1s
- Life Time launched a clinic that provides a comprehensive offering for people on weight loss drugs, with doctors who can prescribe GLP-1s, nutritionists, and personal training
And they are not the only ones…
Nestle, a food manufacturer, plans to increase sales of nutritious products by $22.8-28.5 billion by 2030 to provide benefits to people on GLP-1 treatments, per CNN.
Look for the impact of Ozempic, Wegovy, and other GLP-1 prescription drugs to spill over to ancillary industries like wellness and spa services, fitness technology, and more in the coming months.
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