Injections such as Mounjaro and Ozempic have already turned the weight-loss industry on its head – now jabs are shaking up the travel world, too.
Juice fasting? Killer exercise bootcamps? No thank you. Could this spell the death of standard slimming retreats?
Juls Abernethy, co-founder of The Body Retreat, which has run weight-loss retreats in the West Country for 15 years, says there’s a noticeable shift in the lower end of the market: ‘Special offers, flash sales, half-price places – the industry is definitely in a pivot situation.’
She adds: ‘Six months of jabs could cost as little as £700 at present. Little effort, less outlay – it seems like the ultimate weight-loss magic wand.’
And this, Abernethy points out, is despite known side effects including vomiting, diarrhoea and constipation. Then you have the very real possibility of putting the weight back on once you stop jabbing.
So, while few retreats, even in the physician-led medi-spa sector, prescribe the jabs, many are now offering support for those already on them.
While at the more expensive end of weight-loss holidays, it’s a case of travellers on jabs booking in to retreats to learn more about nutrition.
Award-winning Ananda in the foothills of the Himalayas
‘It’s vital to eat properly and exercise while you’re on these drugs,’ says Abernethy. ‘The pharmaceutical companies themselves estimate up to a third of weight lost will be muscle mass – because most people under eat, under nourish and the body ends up using muscle as fuel. Losing lean muscle is a disaster.’
Trend forecasters Stylus believe ‘the Ozempic effect’ will be key for luxury travel, predicting a rise in retreats supporting people using the injections.
‘We’ve not noticed any downturn in our weight-loss programmes,’ confirms Frances Geoghegan of upmarket retreat platform Healing Holidays. ‘We have exclusive programmes with spas like Lanserhof for those on the injections.’
And with new medications on the horizon, the scrabble to keep up with the science is only going to get more frenzied. ‘It’s moving so fast, it’s hard to keep up,’ says Juls Abernethy. ‘My concern is regulation and safety also can’t keep up.’
So, is Mounjaro killing the weight-loss retreat? No. Is it radically altering it? Absolutely.
EIGHT JAB-FRIENDLY RESORTS…
The Body Retreat, Dorset
The Body Retreat in the West Country has been running weight-loss retreats for 15 years
THIS multi-award winning women’s weight-loss retreat offers a bolt-on package for jabbers. Numbers are kept small and the mood is serene house party rather than fancy medi-spa. The emphasis is on providing a blueprint for healthy living: nutritionally balanced diets, and swift effective workouts. Hypnotherapy sessions are offered, plus smart health hacks. Group support is designed to make the Mounjaro journey feel less lonely, with bonding on gentle hikes.
DETAILS: A four-night weight-loss retreat starts at £2,150 including three weeks of online support post-retreat (thebodyretreat.co.uk).
Details: A five-night weight-loss programme including personal support for weight-loss injections is from £4,052 (anandaspa.com).
Combe Grove Metabolic Health Centre, Bath
Combe Grove was established with the aim of improving metabolic health, with achieving a healthy weight a large part of treatments, so they’re pragmatic about jabs.
Dietitian and senior health coach Amanda Overeynder says: ‘These injections do have a place, particularly if people struggle with food noise and food addiction.’ Retreats here offer tailored food (high protein, low carb – totally delicious) and ease guests into movement in a beautiful setting.
DETAILS: A two-night Metabolic Health retreat starts at £1,200 or taster ‘Health Reset Days’ are £225 (combegrove.com).
Lanserhof Lans, Austria
Lanserhof Lans in the Tyrol supports upmarket Mounjaro set
This is where the rich and famous go to ‘detox’; the three clinics attract the likes of Victoria Beckham and the Delevingne sisters.
However, it’s the original Lanserhof Lans in the Tyrol that is discretely supporting the upmarket Mounjaro set. Its programme promises to ‘enhance the benefits of weight-loss drugs’. It is expensive, with comprehensive diagnostics, numerous medical exams, personalised training sessions and nutrition consultations.
DETAILS: Exclusive seven-night ‘Semaglutide Management’ programme is from £6,399 (healingholidays.com).
Euphoria Retreat, Greece
Close to the UNESCO site of Mystras, Euphoria Retreat is embracing the weight-loss injections. ‘We work on a bespoke basis with guests who are taking medication,’ says Eleana Papacharalambous, its medical consultant.
The retreat balances medical scrutiny and precisely calibrated exercise with holistic therapies. Diet is personalised following diagnostics, which pinpoint the ratio of nutrients in your body.
DETAILS: A six-night ‘Advanced Weight Loss’ programme is from £6,999 (euphoriaretreat.com).
Original Mayr Medical Resort, Austria
This comfortable medical resort on Austria’s Lake Wörthersee uses medications such as Mounjaro as a kick-starter, incorporated into a medically guided holistic programme.
‘We focus on gut health and prevention, creating personalised programmes that address the root causes of health concerns,’ says head physician Dr Ursula Muntean-Rock. ‘We do prescribe weight-loss injections but only in medically indicated cases.’
DETAILS: A seven-night ‘Detox and Gut Health’ programme with ‘Advanced Weight Loss’ is from £4,859 (original-mayr.com).
Pritikin Longevity Center, Miami, US
Medically based, scientifically rigorous wellness retreat Pritikin has been helping people lose weight and get healthy for nearly 50 years. ‘In any given week, it’s not uncommon for 10-15 per cent of our guests to arrive using one of these medications,’ says medical director Dr Marianela Areces.
The Florida retreat aims to mitigate side effects, helping guests preserve lean muscle mass; it also supports people who want to taper off the medication.
Details: The ‘Pritikin Lifestyle Program’ is from £3,996 during a six-night retreat (pritikin.com).
Mayrlife, Austria
The Mayr medicine-based clinic on the shore of Lake Altaussee, has attracted a lengthy list of celebs including Rebel Wilson and Kate Moss
This Mayr medicine-based clinic on the shore of Lake Altaussee, has attracted a lengthy list of celebs including Rebel Wilson, Kate Moss and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York.
‘We don’t prescribe, provide or administer weight-loss injections,’ says medical director Dr Alexander Thaler. Programmes include sophisticated diagnostics which inform an expertly tailored nutrition and lifestyle plan.
DETAILS: The ‘Optimal Weight’ programme is from £4,500 for a six-night stay (mayrlife.com).
Ananda in the Himalayas, in India
At the Ananda you can use Ayurveda yoga as part of your treatment
For a totally different take put yourself in the hands of the ayurvedic physicians at award-winning Ananda in the foothills of the Himalayas above Rishikesh.
‘Overeating rarely arises from physical hunger alone,’ says Dr Sreelal Sankar, head of Ayurveda at Ananda. ‘It’s often driven by factors such as emotional voids or unresolved grief.’ Treatments can involve yoga, breathwork, counselling and massage.
DETAILS: A five-night weight-loss programme including personal support for weight-loss injections is from £4,052 (anandaspa.com).
