According to the latest government statistics, around 1 in 4 (26.2%) adults in the UK were obese in 2022-2023. The prevalence of obesity has been growing each year since 2016, representing a major issue for the UK healthcare system.

It’s far from a simple story. Obesity is a complex and multi-faceted healthcare topic, and one that we have studied in depth here at Rare:. 

Recent public interest in Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists has created a huge demand for services from healthcare providers, however an effective treatment plan is based on patients having access to a range of weight management services such as diet, exercise and psychological support.

We wanted to share the latest statistics on the number of private healthcare providers that are offering weight management services to the general public, using data from Rare: Monitor.

The report takes the latest data we have in Rare: Monitor, which is profiling over 86,000 health, beauty and wellness providers in the UK, including those that are part of the CQC, HIS, CIW and RQIA registers.

Advanced weight management treatments covered for the purpose of this report are limited to the following: personal training, pharmacotherapy (including medicated weight management), gastric balloons, gastric bypass surgery, sleeve gastrectomy, adjustable gastric banding, genetic and biomarker-based treatments.

This report covers a range of metrics on private healthcare providers that offer weight management services, including

• Total number of clinics

• Average number of clinic locations per provider

• Household income profile

• Clinic density by UK NUTS 1 region

• Top treatments offered

• Treatment repertoire

• Business size profile