“The Fitness Industry Never Should Have Been in the Weight Loss Game”

That line stops people in their tracks.

Dr. Ian Patton, who holds a PhD in kinesiology and serves as Director of Advocacy and Public Engagement for Obesity Canada, has spoken candidly about his lived experience with obesity, bariatric surgery, and GLP-1 therapy.

His message is clear: exercise remains one of the most important things a person can do for health, but historically the industry has often framed movement through the wrong lens.

“Weight loss never should have been the reason why people engage in exercise,” Patton said. “Physical activity and exercise improve almost everything. We just need to take weight loss out of the equation.”

For decades, the industry positioned exercise primarily as a path to weight loss. Emerging obesity science, combined with the rise of effective medications, is now forcing a broader rethink.

The opportunity is not diminished relevance for fitness professionals.
It may be the opposite.

GLP-1s Are Changing the Landscape, But Not Replacing Exercise

GLP-1 medications have rapidly moved from niche treatments into mainstream healthcare.

Industry leaders are increasingly examining the long-term value of structured exercise alongside GLP-1 therapy. Emerging projections suggest that combining structured exercise with GLP-1 therapy could generate billions in healthcare and societal value in Canada over the next decade.

Why?

Medications may help regulate appetite and address biological drivers of obesity, but they do not replace the physiological, mental health, functional, or longevity benefits of exercise.

Obesity is increasingly understood as a complex chronic disease, not a simple failure of willpower. Genetics, physiology, environment, psychology, and social factors all influence outcomes.

That shift is extending beyond healthcare and into public policy.

In its 2026 federal pre-budget submission, Obesity Canada called on the federal government to formally recognize obesity as a chronic disease, strengthen national surveillance and measurement, improve policy coordination, and invest in research and innovation.

The organization also highlighted the broader societal impact, noting that nearly one in three Canadians were living with obesity in 2023 and estimating the economic burden at $27.6 billion annually through healthcare costs, lost productivity, reduced workforce participation, and wider economic impacts.

For fitness professionals, this signals something important.

The conversation is moving beyond weight. Increasingly, it is about long-term health, function, prevention, quality of life, and building systems that support Canadians across the lifespan.

That shift matters.
It moves the industry away from shame-based messaging and toward long-term health support.

The Rise of “Food Noise” Awareness

One increasingly important concept gaining attention is “food noise,” the persistent mental drive around food experienced by many people living with obesity.

Dr. Ian Patton has spoken openly about his own experience. Before treatment, he described food thoughts as constant and consuming.

“It was always food, food, food,” he explained.

From morning until night, food occupied mental space in ways that many people without obesity may struggle to fully understand.

After treatment, including GLP-1 therapy, Patton described a dramatically different experience.

“That voice in my head is quiet,” he shared. “I feel normal.”

For fitness professionals, understanding this perspective matters. It shifts the conversation away from simplistic “eat less, move more” messaging and toward empathy, individualized support, and evidence-based care.

Obesity science increasingly recognizes that appetite regulation, biology, environment, psychology, and lived experience all shape health behaviours.

Understanding that complexity may help fitness professionals better support the people walking through their doors.

Strength Training Matters More Than Ever

One message continues to emerge clearly from obesity and exercise science: strength training matters.

Rapid weight loss, whether through bariatric surgery or GLP-1 therapy, can involve loss of lean tissue alongside fat loss. Resistance training becomes critical for preserving muscle mass, physical function, metabolic health, and long-term independence.

General recommendations increasingly emphasize:

• 150 minutes of weekly physical activity
• Three to four resistance training sessions per week
• Gradual progression based on tolerance and energy levels
• Consistency during medication adjustment periods

Protein intake is also receiving increased attention, with emerging guidance suggesting approximately 1.2 to 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight daily to help preserve lean mass during weight loss.

Not surprisingly, food and supplement industries are already adapting. Globally, higher-protein foods and functional nutrition products designed to support muscle retention and satiety continue to expand.

For fitness facilities, this presents an opportunity.

Strength training is no longer simply about aesthetics or performance.

It is becoming foundational to healthy aging, resilience, and long-term healthspan.

The Industry’s Biggest Opportunity May Be Inclusion

Another critical consideration for operators is weight bias and inclusion.

Fitness facilities can either reinforce barriers or help remove them.

Operators should examine:

• Facility layouts and accessibility
• Marketing imagery and representation
• Change room and seating design
• Staff communication and onboarding
• Privacy considerations for new exercisers

The goal is not blame.
It is evolution.

Fitness professionals have always worked to help people improve health. Today, science gives the industry an opportunity to do that work even better.

A Defining Moment for the Fitness Industry

Perhaps the most important shift is this:

The role of exercise is not becoming smaller in the GLP-1 era.
It may be becoming more important.

As more Canadians access obesity treatments, demand will grow for professionals who can:

• Build confidence around movement
• Improve physical function
• Preserve strength and muscle mass
• Support mental health
• Create inclusive environments
• Shift focus from the scale to quality of life

The future relationship between obesity medicine and fitness may ultimately be defined by three concepts:

Reciprocal. Collaborative. Mutually beneficial.

That may become one of the defining opportunities for the next era of the Canadian fitness industry.