The number of Americans taking weight loss drugs is skyrocketing. According to a study from the nonprofit FAIR Health, the percentage of adults prescribed “any type of GLP-1 drug” increased from 0.9% in 2019 to 4% by last year.
The growing popularity can put employers in a bind. Demand is expected to keep growing, and the drugs are expensive. As HR Executive has reported, they can cost nearly $1,350 per month, per employee. While most businesses do not yet cover GLP-1s, the pressure is on. In a survey, more than two-thirds of Americans said they’d stay at a job they don’t like if it covered these drugs; 20% said they’d take a new job to get this kind of coverage.
As employers make decisions about this coverage, it’s crucial to avoid doing so in a vacuum. As promising as these medications can be, their long-term success depends largely on something else. A study published by The Lancet validated what seems intuitive: Physical activity is essential for making the results of GLP-1s last.
“The addition of supervised exercise to obesity pharmacotherapy seems to improve healthy weight maintenance after treatment termination compared with treatment termination of obesity pharmacotherapy alone,” the study found. “Body weight and body composition were maintained one year after termination of supervised exercise, in contrast to weight regain after termination of treatment with obesity pharmacotherapy alone.”
The lesson for HR teams is that empowering people with a wide array of options is key— not just for continuously improving health benefits over time, but also for the bottom line.
My company, Wellhub, saw this happen at Aflac. As a self-insured employer, Aflac covered GLP-1s with only a $25 co-pay, and quickly found itself spending more than $25 million for less than 5% of its more than 12,000 employees.
The company certainly did not want to skimp on offerings for everyone else, and also wanted to help that small slice of the workforce maximize the benefits of these drugs. So, Aflac worked with us to roll out a free Wellhub plan, providing access to a wide array of resources to improve wellness in numerous ways, including fitness, mindfulness, therapy, nutrition and sleep.
Fifteen percent of the company enrolled on day one, and 45% were active within the first year. Now, Aflac is recognized as a leader in creating workplace wellbeing.
The overwhelming case for ROI
This kind of holistic view more than pays for itself. In our latest annual survey, Return On Wellbeing 2025, we asked more than 1,500 CEOs across 10 global markets about their wellbeing programs. Findings included:
- More than 80% reported positive ROI
- One in three said their return tops 100%
- Virtually all (97%) said wellness boosts productivity
- 73% reported stronger retention
- 67% reported a drop in absenteeism
CEOs told us they also see engagement and morale improve as the focus grows on wellbeing, while burnout levels fall. And, significantly, the overwhelming majority (91%) said their healthcare expenses dropped. These results show why more than three-quarters of chief executives said their companies plan to increase spending on wellbeing programs.
The ultimate lesson of all this is: While GLP-1 coverage creates ongoing costs, comprehensive wellness creates ongoing value.
Wellness as cultural infrastructure alongside weight loss drugs
Of course, this does not mean that companies should avoid support for GLP-1 medications. It means that no matter what they decide for that slice of the workforce, a broad wellness program is a must.
This requires not only equipping team members with access to resources, but also giving them as much flexibility as possible to put those resources to use while also getting their work done. As HR leaders, we can go a long way in helping instill that in our organizations.
Think of it as cultural infrastructure. We can establish the mindsets and support that our people need in order to live their best lives and deliver their best work. We can strive to help everyone feel more engaged, satisfied and productive. That’s not just great for employees—it’s great for business.
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