Every year, people struggle to maintain weight loss goals – but the underlying cause may be biological.
Every January, weight loss usually tops the list of New Year’s resolutions for Australians, with travelling and calling friends more often also ranking high. For weight loss, motivation is high, routines are reset and goals are clearly defined. Yet for many, progress stalls within weeks.
Gyms fill up with an influx of eager new members, meal plans are downloaded and sugary snacks are banished from the pantry. But as work pressures return and daily routines settle back in, old habits can quickly re-emerge. For some, the frustration isn’t just about slipping up – it’s about feeling as though they’re fighting their own body.
According to Apex Health Co-Founder Kyle Stewart, the issue often isn’t commitment.
“I think the main issue now is we’re realising that weight gain is not a thing of willpower, it’s like a biochemical issue,” Stewart said.
“That’s why treating it with medication actually makes sense.”
In other words, even the most determined resolution can be undermined by biology. “You can have a New Year’s resolution set out… [but] you always fall to bad habits because you may just be wired to be like that.”
A more robust approach
With increasing media attention on medications such as GLP-1 treatments, some Australians may assume weight loss is simply a matter of getting a prescription. Stewart says Apex’s program is designed to be broader than that.
“Our program pulls together exercise physiology, and even psychology if the person needs it, physiotherapy if they need it, and then also the medication to support them,” Stewart explained.
Further resources include access to a dietitian, and even regular healthy eating webinars.
Exercise physiology equals structured, evidence-based exercise support. Even when medication is part of a treatment plan, movement remains important.
“There’s a lot of benefit to patients getting in the gym, moving, building up their muscle mass,” Stewart said.
Dietary guidance is also key. Patients may receive advice on “modifying their diet so that they’re more protein” or making other adjustments that complement treatment.
Apex notes that patients can choose how much of the program they participate in. However, “especially for our veterans, if they want the most benefits, they take the entire program as we prescribe it,” Stewart said.
Supporting Australians over 60
Weight management can become more complex with age. Apex says around “50% of our patient base right now on the weight program are over 60”.
“I think for older people they do struggle to stick to a program,” Stewart said.
