While a healthy weight is important, Intermountain Health says there are several measurable factors which can determine a person’s improving level of health

(PRUnderground) January 19th, 2026

It is said that many of those who started a New Year’s resolution around health and fitness have already quit. Those who haven’t likely will in the next few weeks.

Health experts say there’s a variety of reasons for this which include setting unrealistic expectations and only focusing on overall weight instead of other important health milestones.

While a healthy weight is important for people to maintain, Jake Veigel, MD, a sports medicine physician at Intermountain Health, says there are several measurable factors which can determine a person’s improving level of health.

“Weight can go up and down for several reasons, and just because a person is losing weight doesn’t mean they’re reaching their overall health goals,” said Jake Veigel, MD, a sports medicine physician at Intermountain Health. “Setting goals around our overall health means we can still be improving even if our weight loss has stopped.

Dr. Veigel says there are tips people can use to improve their health:

• Picking obtainable goals will keep people motivated, and allow them to change slowly over time. Picking health goals that are too big can leave people frustrated and they often give up.
• Do exercises you enjoy because people are more likely to stick with them if it doesn’t seem like a chore.
• Avoid diets and look at nutrition as long-term change to adopting healthier eating habits. By avoiding heavy restrictions on food people are more likely to stick with healthier eating if they can still enjoy other foods they like in moderation.
• Remember that consistency is more important than perfection. People will hit bumps along their health journey but sticking with it and making even small progress will lead to better overall habits in the future.

For some their new health goals may be to include popular GLP1 drugs to try and lose weight and get their health under control. Experts note if this is part of your plan then it’s best to communicate with your primary care doctor and

Intermountain Health physicians who care for patients with diabetes (such as endocrinologists) and physicians who care for patients who are trying to lose weight (bariatric medicine physicians and surgeons) are good sources to “weigh-in” about what the public should know about these new GLP-1 medications.

“Once someone has started a weight loss program or medications, it’s important for patients to inform their primary care physician and any other physician specialists they see about what they’re doing. Sometimes people will feel reluctant or embarrassed to share that they have started these medications,” said Betsy Batcher, MD an endocrinologist at Intermountain Health in the Salt Lake City area.

Mild side effects commonly reported with GLP-1 injections include gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting.

“There can be some serious side effects to GLP-1 injections such as malnutrition or sarcopenia, which is a progressive loss of muscle mass, strength, and function, which can lead to poor balance, and an increased risk of falls and fractures,” said Dr. Batcher.

“I care for people with diabetes and many of those patients can also be overweight,” she added.

According to Dr. Batcher, it’s important that people know that the GLP-1 injections can interact with other medications and also with other medical conditions. So, it’s critical that people let their doctor know what medications they’re taking.

Although these drugs can make weight loss easier, doctors note it’s vital to continue to exercise and eat healthy. You should continue to check in with your doctors to make sure they are working properly and don’t need adjustments to dosing.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 33 hospitals, over 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For up-to-date information and announcements, please see the Intermountain Health newsroom at https://news.intermountainhealth.org/. For more information, see intermountainhealth.org/ or call 801-442-2000.

The post Intermountain Health Experts Say to Focus on Health for and Not Just Weight Loss for Resolutions first appeared on

Original Press Release.