Renatus Collective Group commissions major UK study into life after weight loss
Renatus Collective Group has commissioned a UK-wide study into the physical, emotional and behavioural experiences associated with significant weight loss.
Beyond Weight Loss: A Patient Experience Study is conducted by Patient First Research with the support of the British Obesity Society. It asks what happens beyond the numbers on the scales: which changes people notice in their skin and hair, how those relate to confidence and everyday life, and whether they receive the information and support they need.
Understanding the wider patient experience
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.
Beyond Weight Loss aims to address a gap in detailed UK patient insight, connecting reported physical changes with their personal significance, the actions people take and potential gaps in support.
The online study aims to hear from 600 UK adults: 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.
The questionnaire captures positive and negative experiences, as well as instances where people report no noticeable changes. It does not assume that everyone experiences difficulties.
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."
From physical changes to everyday decisions
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.
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.
"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."
Timely insight for a changing landscape
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.
Nicholas Wain, CEO of Patient First Research, said:
"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."
A Northern Ireland company, a UK-wide study
Renatus Collective Group is based in Northern Ireland, where 65% of adults are living with obesity or excess weight according to the Department of Health, one of the region's biggest public health challenges.
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.
Researchers are seeking 100 participants in Northern Ireland as part of the wider UK recruitment target.
Taking part
The online study is open to eligible adults aged 18 and over across the UK 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 to 15 minutes. Eligible participants who complete the survey receive £10 as a thank-you for their time.
Find out more and take part at bit.ly/beyond-weight-loss.
Media enquiries
For media enquiries, please use the press enquiry form.
Media and research enquiries about the study itself can be directed to enquiries@patientfirstresearch.org
Notes to editors
About the study
Beyond Weight Loss: A Patient Experience Study is an online patient-experience survey of UK adults aged 18 and over. The survey takes approximately 10 to 15 minutes, depending on respondents' answers.
The target sample is 600 participants: 400 current or recent GLP-1 users and 200 non-GLP-1 weight-loss participants. This is a recruitment target, not a completed research base. No findings are being announced at this launch stage.
The non-GLP-1 comparison group comprises adults who lost at least 10% of their starting body weight within the past 24 months without GLP-1 use during the reference period.
Interpreting the findings
The study is observational and based on self-reported experiences. It is not a clinical trial and cannot establish that medication caused a reported change. Demographic monitoring supports sample balance; the study is not presented as nationally representative.
About Patient First Research
Patient First Research is a UK healthcare research company connecting organisations with a deeply profiled, verified patient community. Its approach supports timely, targeted patient insight, with an emphasis on respectful participation and meaningful lived experience.
About Renatus Collective Group
Renatus Collective Group is a Northern Ireland health and wellbeing company founded by Marc McKee and registered in Northern Ireland, company number NI736698. It is the parent company of ElastiK° Skin, a skincare range developed for people going through significant weight loss, postpartum and hormonal changes, and operates My Journey with Marc, the content platform on which Marc has documented his own nine-stone weight loss. The company was named Best New Business at the Ards Peninsula Business Awards 2026, won Low Budget Campaign and took Silver in the Healthcare and Wellbeing Campaign category at the CIPR NI Awards 2026, and was runner-up for Device of the Year at the UK Beauty Awards 2026.
About the British Obesity Society
The British Obesity Society works to improve understanding, treatment and support for people living with obesity in the UK, bringing together healthcare professionals, researchers and patient voices.
Study roles
Patient First Research is the research lead. The British Obesity Society is the study supporter. Renatus Collective Group, a Northern Ireland health and wellbeing company, is the commissioning partner.
Medical advice
The study does not provide medical advice or recommend any particular weight-loss treatment. Anyone considering or currently using weight-loss medication should seek advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.
References
Department of Health (Northern Ireland). Northern Ireland moves to tackle obesity with new restrictions on unhealthy food promotions. health-ni.gov.uk, 29 July 2026.
Jackson SE et al. Prevalence of use and interest in using glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for weight loss: a population study in Great Britain. BMC Medicine. 2026;24:1. DOI: 10.1186/s12916-025-04528-7.
Department of Health (Northern Ireland). Publication of Healthy Futures Obesity Strategic Framework. Written Ministerial Statement, 26 November 2025.
