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Getting the latest healthcare news for you
A new international joint statement, backed by 12 organizations including Canada's CSEP, says clinical exercise physiologists should be integrated into obesity pharmacotherapy care. With 20–40% of weight lost on GLP-1 drugs potentially coming from lean muscle, structured, individualized exercise isn't optional — it's essential. Generic "move more" advice simply doesn't meet the clinical complexity these patients face.
Prescribing GLP-1s without a structured exercise plan may be leaving patients short-changed.
A new international joint statement, endorsed by 12 organizations across Canada, Australia, the UK, Europe, and beyond, is calling for clinical exercise physiologists (CEPs) to be formally integrated into obesity pharmacotherapy care. The statement, "Exercise and Physical Activity in the Era of Obesity Pharmacotherapy," argues that generic "move more" advice simply doesn't cut it for patients on GLP-1 and related weight-loss medications.
The concern is well-founded: 20–40% of total weight lost during GLP-1 treatment may come from lean tissue, including skeletal muscle — making structured, individualized exercise a clinical necessity, not a lifestyle add-on. CEPs are uniquely trained to account for comorbidities, polypharmacy, and medication-related physiologic changes when prescribing and monitoring exercise.
Key Takeaways:
Why it matters: As GLP-1 prescriptions surge globally, care models are still being shaped. This statement urges governments and health systems to embed multidisciplinary care — including CEPs — into obesity treatment pathways now, before medication-only funding models become the default.
