A healthier approach to weight management

The healthy way to HealthyWeight

Research consistently shows that anti-obesity medicine works best when it is supported by structural lifestyle changes. Without that support, most people stop taking medicine within four months, before the full benefit has had time to take hold.

Vitality's HealthyWeight programme has been designed to support Vitality members through their entire weight-management journey. From food shopping to cooking and meal preparation, members receive daily encouragement and personalised support from their very own dietitian, helping them to stay on track to achieving their weight management goals.

The HealthyWeight programme provides personalised nutrition and lifestyle support. For members who wish to explore whether weight-loss medicine may be clinically appropriate, this may sit alongside a separate clinical assessment pathway. If members are already on weight-loss medicine prescribed by their own doctor, HealthyWeight can support their treatment with ongoing lifestyle support to help build healthier habits, lose weight safely and sustainably, and keep it off for the long term. Medical advice, diagnosis, prescribing and care remain independent of the HealthyWeight programme.

The importance of a dietitian

One of the clearest findings from the early Vitality HealthyWeight pilot is just how much dietitian engagement matters.

Members who had daily contact with a dietitian lost 6.5% of their body weight in month one. This is about ten times more than those with no engagement, who lost just 0.6%. The more consistently members engaged, the better their results.

The HealthyWeight pilot data, while still preliminary, shows meaningful early changes from engaged members:

• Members shifted their grocery spending towards healthier food without spending more overall: healthy food spend rose 46% while less-healthy food spend fell 24.5%.
• Their weekly physical activity goal completion rose from 50% to 67%.
• Those who combined medicine with structured exercise saw in-hospital costs drop by 63%, compared to 33% for those who used medicine alone.

The Vitality HealthyWeight programme treats weight as a long-term health condition, not as a short-term prescription. The goal is lasting health over and above weight loss.