While GLP-1 medications are generating excitement for obesity treatment, their rising costs pose a challenge. Amidst this dynamic, one truth remains constant: lifestyle-first strategies are foundational to effective obesity management. Prioritizing these offers a powerful trifecta: significant cost savings, improved health outcomes, and high member satisfaction.
Understanding the Evolving Landscape of Obesity Treatment
GLP-1s are fundamentally reshaping clinical and payer strategies for obesity care, with profound impact. Dr. Lia Rodriguez, Chief Medical Officer at CVS Healthspire, highlighted this expansive potential at a recent session onstage with executives from Welldoc and Cecelia Health at AHIP 2025, noting that “When you look at our country, you have 40% of our population being eligible for these [GLP-1s]. If you include the overweight category, that actually extends to 75% of the population being eligible.” This presents both a significant challenge and an unprecedented opportunity.
Alongside GLP-1 adoption, our understanding of obesity has profoundly shifted. No longer dismissed as ‘simply a disease of willpower’. As Dr. Rodriguez explained, “What excites me as a physician is that we now recognize obesity as a chronic multifactorial disease.” This deeper understanding acknowledges the complex biological and neurological factors involved. However, this paradigm shift also introduces new challenges. Teresa McArthur, Senior Vice President of Clinical Services at Cecelia Health, observed a striking change in member attitudes toward GLP-1s, moving from “hesitation, fear, and concern” a decade ago to a current “sense of urgency,” often with lifestyle considerations as “an afterthought.”
Technology and AI are increasingly transforming treatment outcomes. Anand Iyer, Welldoc’s Chief AI Officer, emphasized how technology, by increasing access to health data through integrated devices and apps like fitness trackers and weight scales, provides deeper insights into member and provider needs.
Health plans are increasingly recognizing their pivotal role in developing sustainable, member-centric programs. Payers are moving beyond traditional cost controls and utilization management, adopting more holistic strategies. The substantial cost of GLP-1s, as Dr. Rodriguez highlighted, is forcing a conversation about proactive risk mitigation. She explained, “Payers are showing significant interest now. They understand members need access to prescriptions, prescribers, medical nutrition support, and technology. They also recognize that obesity is strongly linked to other conditions like hypertension and emerging GLP-1 indications. Addressing these interconnected needs is catalyzing discussions on comprehensive obesity management.”
The Impact of Lifestyle-Driven Clinical Support
Effective lifestyle-driven support is at the core of sustainable obesity management, whether complementing medication or, in some cases, reducing reliance on it altogether. The key is whole-person care. As Teresa underscored, “Until we begin to look at the person as a whole, and we look at their mental health, their behavioral health, their physical well-being, and comorbid conditions, you’re not going to have long-term success [in your care delivery plan].” This comprehensive approach requires essential elements such as medical nutrition therapy, registered dietitian support, personalized coaching, and the vital integration of physical activity, stress management, and sleep.
Data intelligence is a game-changer, providing actionable insights and structured support for both patients and clinicians. It enables proactive course correction, identifying when a member is going off track and allowing for timely interventions before obesity becomes a high-cost condition. Digital health solutions and AI leverage this data intelligence to track progress toward weight loss or dietary goals, uncover hidden patterns, utilize predictive analytics to forecast outcomes, and dynamically adjust parameters to personalize approaches.
The significance of incorporating holistic care approaches is clear from both client and payer perspectives. Programs led by registered dietitians for nutritional counseling, coupled with behavioral coaching and digital health solutions, drive better adherence and outcomes. These programs must be personalized and culturally relevant, with varied engagement strategies to cater to individuals who are tech-savvy and those who prefer alternative approaches. Re-engagement strategies are also vital to support individuals throughout their lifelong health journey.
Strategies for Upstream Obesity Management
Payers recognize the immense value in, though challenging, upstream intervention – preventing obesity or managing weight early before it escalates into a more complex and costly condition. This proactive approach hinges on early identification of at-risk individuals and providing timely, effective support. This is where the power of AI and data analytics emerges as critical, offering unprecedented opportunities for preventive, risk-based care pathways.
Anand outlined four key ways data intelligence analytics can empower risk-based care pathways:
- Generate insights from captured data, such as progress towards weight loss or dietary goals.
- Uncover hidden patterns that could inform predictive outcomes.
- Utilize predictive analytics to forecast outcomes. Welldoc, for instance, has models that can predict whether a person will achieve their weight loss goal after just 30 days of engagement.
- Dynamically adjust parameters in conjunction with care coordination and pharmacotherapy, enabling personalized approaches that account for individual constraints.
This paradigm shift translates into a significant move from reactive to proactive strategies in obesity care for payers. As Dr. Rodriguez emphasized, “[This strategy] requires cross-sector collaboration that brings together payers, providers, our partners in pharma, and our digital health solutions to build truly scalable and impactful solutions.”
Real-world case studies powerfully demonstrate the efficacy of early integration of lifestyle interventions in mitigating obesity-related costs. The CVS Health Weight Management™ program, for example, successfully combined GLP-1 medications with clinician-led nutrition and tech-enabled behavior support, yielding impressive results*:
- Members utilizing GLP-1s in conjunction with the program achieved an impressive 16% average weight loss and a remarkable 92% member satisfaction.
- For members not on anti-obesity medications, the prevention program yielded “over 6% weight loss within eight months,” surpassing the gold standard for diabetes prevention programs.
- Overall, the program led to an average of 42% less client spend on GLP-1s.
As Dr. Rodriguez explained, “At CVS we have strong strategies around cost control and utilization management, but we really wanted to make sure the members that were getting these medications were not just getting access to the medications, but also were getting excellent care.”
Conclusion: Building a Sustainable, Member-Centric Obesity Care Ecosystem
The evolving landscape of obesity treatment presents both exciting opportunities and considerable challenges. While GLP-1s offer powerful new tools, a sustainable and truly member-centric approach to obesity care must prioritize lifestyle-first strategies. By integrating comprehensive, holistic support, leveraging data intelligence and AI for proactive interventions, and fostering cross-sector collaboration, we can build an ecosystem that delivers better outcomes, controls costs, and empowers individuals on their lifelong health journey.
For more information on how Welldoc collaborates with the health ecosystem, discover the Welldoc digital health platform.
*CVS Healthspire Data on File.
