Randomized Trial Compares Employer Weight Management Program With and Without Medication for Obesity

Obesity is a pervasive chronic disease with significant health and economic burdens, yet real-world evidence for effective, sustainable management within employer-sponsored programs remains limited. Current approaches often lack the comprehensive support needed for chronic weight management, leading to suboptimal outcomes. Employers are major healthcare purchasers, making workplace interventions critical. This study addresses the gap by evaluating the added benefit of approved long-term weight loss medications when integrated into an existing employer-based weight management program. It seeks to establish best practices for chronic weight management in the workplace.

This randomized, controlled study will enroll employees with obesity into the Cleveland Clinic Integrated Medical Weight Management Program (WMP). Participants are assigned by chance (1:1 randomization) to one of two groups: Group 1 receives the WMP plus medication for long-term weight loss, while Group 2 receives the WMP without medication. The study duration for each participant is approximately one year. The primary endpoint is expected to be weight loss, comparing the effectiveness of the combined approach versus the program alone.