Evaluating weight loss programs for employers in the age of GLP-1s

For employers, developing an effective obesity management strategy not only can improve employee health but also help mitigate the development of coexisting conditions, manage the risk of high GLP-1 utilization costs, and drive claims savings.

In a study published in Obesity, providing employee participants with access to an employer-sponsored lifestyle intervention program for weight loss was associated with significantly lower medical expenditures, as well as other benefits.

The advantages of a successful obesity management strategy are clear, but with a range of programs to choose from, selecting the right one for your employees may be challenging. To determine and implement a program that drives sustainable health outcomes as well as cost savings, employers and their consultants need to consider four factors:

Program features

Understanding the program features of each weight care solution is critical when evaluating your options. For example, some programs may focus on only one class of medications, such as GLP-1s, rather than all of the medications available in a provider’s toolkit. Others may offer the medications but they lack the support services that reinforce the healthy lifestyle behaviors needed for sustainable weight loss. Found's program stands out because of its clinical expertise, highly personalized treatment plans, wide medication toolkit, step therapy approach, and member support.

Care delivery approach

How a program delivers care can significantly impact how and if employees achieve sustainable health outcomes. Some programs focus only on exercise or nutritional guidance—or medication but no lifestyle guidance—often falling short of a comprehensive approach. However, Found combines the most effective and clinically appropriate medication with lifestyle guidance to create tailored treatment plans for each employee.

Employee and business outcomes

Tracking outcomes is essential in helping your organization understand the effectiveness of your program. A successful employer obesity management strategy includes variables like active engagement rate, weight loss statistics, health care claims and medications cost savings, and ROI. Found's program uses just these metrics to provide ongoing insights into how a weight care program is succeeding.

Implementation process

As those involved in employee wellness know, implementation can be a sticking point—if done poorly, engagement will be lukewarm at best. At Found, we place significant focus on meeting technical requirements and developing an internal communications strategy to ensure a smooth and successful program launch.

As you consider your options, use our expertly curated evaluation checklist to help choose the right weight care program for your employees.

About Found

Found is among the largest medically supported telehealth weight care clinics in the country, having served more than 250,000 members to date. Our mission is to help employers build happier, healthier teams by effectively improving employee health through comprehensive, personalized weight care.

‍