Researchers to explore the physical, emotional and behavioural experiences associated with significant weight loss.
People across Northern Ireland are being encouraged to share their personal experiences of significant weight loss as part of a major UK-wide study looking beyond the numbers on the scales to understand how weight loss affects everyday life.
The independent study, Beyond Weight Loss: A Patient Experience Study, has been commissioned by Renatus Collective Group, a Northern Ireland health and wellbeing company founded by Marc McKee.
Researchers are seeking 100 participants locally as part of a wider recruitment target of 600 adults across the UK.
Conducted by Patient First Research, with the support of the British Obesity Society, the research will explore how significant weight loss can affect skin, hair, body confidence and everyday life, as well as the information and support available to people throughout their weight-loss journey.
Beyond Weight Loss aims to address a gap in detailed patient insight, connecting reported physical changes with their personal significance, the actions people take and potential gaps in support.
According to the Department of Health in Northern Ireland, 65% of adults in Northern Ireland are living with obesity or excess weight, highlighting one of the region’s biggest public health challenges. 1
Research published in BMC Medicine in January 2026 estimated that 1.6 million adults in Great Britain had used GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP medications to support weight loss in the year to early 2025.2
The study launches as Northern Ireland introduces its first Regional Obesity Management Service, designed to provide lifestyle support and, where clinically appropriate, access to weight-loss medication in line with NICE guidance. It also comes as the Department of Health’s Healthy Futures obesity strategic framework moves into delivery. 3
The online study aims to hear from 600 UK adults, comprising 400 current or recent GLP-1 users and 200 adults who have lost at least 10% of their starting body weight within the past 24 months without using GLP-1 medication during that period.
Comparing experiences across these groups, alongside the amount and approximate pace of weight loss, will help researchers explore how reported experiences differ.
Marc McKee, Founder of Renatus Collective Group, said:
“I went through significant weight loss myself and found that the hardest part came after the scales stopped moving. There were changes nobody had told me about and nowhere to turn for proper information.
“With Northern Ireland having launched its first Regional Obesity Management Service, more people here will be starting treatment, and it’s important that the conversation doesn’t begin and end with losing weight. We need to understand what people experience throughout their journey and what support they may need.
“When I started talking about it, thousands of people said the same. We’ve commissioned this research so that patients’ experiences are properly heard, and so that anyone supporting people after weight loss, ourselves included, is working from real UK evidence rather than assumptions.”
The study explores six interconnected areas: skin and facial changes; hair and scalp health; body confidence and everyday life; the weight-loss journey; awareness, education and support; and patient actions and treatment decisions.
Participants will be asked what they knew before treatment or weight loss, what guidance they received, where they sought advice and how they responded to any changes. Among GLP-1 users, the research will also examine whether skin or hair concerns influenced attitudes towards continuing treatment.
The findings could inform patient education, advocacy and support priorities, alongside work in aesthetics and cosmetic medicine, pharmaceuticals and weight management, and skincare, haircare and consumer health.
Jane DeVille-Almond, President of the British Obesity Society, said:
“Understanding weight management means listening to the whole person, not simply measuring weight change. People’s experiences of their skin, hair, confidence, and everyday wellbeing deserve to be heard. We welcome research that puts those experiences at the centre and can help identify where clearer information and more appropriate support may be needed.”
Nicholas Wain, CEO of Patient First Research, added:
“A fast-moving healthcare landscape needs timely, reliable patient insight. Patient First Research is built to respond quickly to emerging questions. With Beyond Weight Loss, we want to understand not just what people notice, but what those experiences mean to them — helping organisations make better-informed decisions about support, services, and further research. We believe Beyond Weight Loss is the first UK study of its depth to explore these experiences.”
Northern Ireland participants encouraged to take part
The online study is open to eligible adults aged 18 and over who have experienced significant weight loss, including current or recent GLP-1 users and people who have lost weight without these medications.
The questionnaire takes approximately 10–15 minutes to complete, with eligible participants who complete the survey receiving £10 as a thank-you for their time.
People interested in taking part can find out more at https://bit.ly/beyond-weight-loss
