Beyond the scales: NI adults wanted for major weight loss study
People in Northern Ireland are encouraged to share their 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, has been commissioned by Renatus Collective Group, a Northern Ireland health company founded by Marc McKee. Researchers are seeking 100 participants locally as part of a wider target of 600 adults across the UK.
Conducted by Patient First Research with the support of the British Obesity Society, the research explores how significant weight loss affects skin, hair, body confidence, and everyday life, alongside available support. It aims to address a gap in patient insight, connecting reported physical changes with their personal significance and actions.
According to the Department of Health, 65% of adults in Northern Ireland live with obesity or excess weight, highlighting a major public health challenge. Meanwhile, research published in BMC Medicine in January 2026 estimated that 1.6 million adults in Britain used GLP-1 or GLP-1/GIP medications to support weight loss in the year to early 2025.
The study launches as Northern Ireland introduces its first Regional Obesity Management Service to provide lifestyle support and clinically appropriate access to weight-loss medication under NICE guidance. It also comes as the Department of Health's Healthy Futures strategic framework moves into delivery.
The online study aims to hear from 600 UK adults, comprising 400 current or recent GLP-1 users and 200 adults who lost at least 10% of their body weight within the past 24 months without GLP-1 medication.
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 told me about and nowhere to turn for information.
"With NI launching its Regional Obesity Management Service, the conversation shouldn't begin and end with losing weight. We need to understand what people experience throughout their journey and what support they may need. We've commissioned this research so that patients' experiences are heard based on real UK evidence.”
The study explores six areas: skin and facial changes; hair health; body confidence; the weight-loss journey; awareness and support; and treatment decisions. Among GLP-1 users, it examines whether skin or hair concerns influenced attitudes towards continuing treatment. The findings could inform patient education, advocacy, aesthetics, pharmaceuticals, and skincare.
Nicholas Wain, CEO of Patient First Research, added that the study seeks to understand what those experiences mean to people, calling it the first UK study of its depth to explore these experiences.
The online study is open to eligible UK adults aged 18 and over. The questionnaire takes 10–15 minutes, and participants will receive £10. Find out more at https://bit.ly/beyond-weight-loss