On Dec. 1, the World Health Organization released its first guideline on the use of GLP-1 therapies for treating obesity as a chronic disease—11 years since the first GLP-1 medicine, liraglutide, was approved for weight-loss in 2014. This guideline is a part of the WHO Acceleration Plan, announced in July, to stop obesity, and will be updated accordingly as new data arises.
Obesity affects people worldwide due to a range of reasons, and the amount of individuals worldwide experiencing it is set to increase. In the midst of high numbers of obesity, physicians and researchers agree that GLP-1 is highly effective for weight management, though experts caution overusing and viewing them as a universal cure-all for obesity [1]. Given its efficacy, WHO fulfilled this new GLP-1 guideline in response to requests from its Member States, after analyzing available research on GLP-1 and consulting with stakeholders, including people with lived experience.
Guideline Recommendations for GLP-1 Therapy: Conditional Use and Lifestyle Integration
The guideline contains two recommendations. The first states that while GLP-1 therapies may generally be used by adults for long-term treatment of obesity, except pregnant women, the recommendation is conditional due to limited research [2]. According to WHO, long-term efficacy and safety, maintenance and the effects of stopping GLP-1, as well as potential equity implications and “inadequate health-system preparedness” need to be evaluated and gather further data [3].
The second recommendation supports structured interventions involving healthy diet and physical activity alongside prescribed GLP-1 therapies, concluded from low-certainty evidence that suggests it may enhance GLP-1 treatment outcomes [2]. Erika Schwartz, MD, the host of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine podcast, says getting the GLP-1 from the pop-up medical clinics is dangerous to everyone’s health, as ongoing monitoring and oversight are crucial to GLP-1 success.
"Bone health must be checked on a regular basis, and hormones must be employed to maintain proper bone maintenance—more data must be collected and reported to the clinicians responsible for writing the prescriptions," she says.
Addressing Global Inequities and Policy Challenges in GLP-1 Therapy Access
WHO encourages deliberate policies, as wider access could worsen the existing health inequalities. WHO calls for urgent action on manufacturing, affordability and system readiness to meet global needs and bridge these disparities, considering accessibility is still not as available as it could be for these drugs. By 2030, over 2.9 billion adults across the world are likely to be living with obesity [4], and the current production of GLP-1 therapies covers around 100 million people, WHO states [2].
A 2025 study in JAMA looked at disparities in Semaglutide and Tirzepatide prescribing for obesity in the U.S. Patients in the most socially vulnerable quartile, it recorded, were less likely to receive prescriptions than those in the least vulnerable. Compared to uban living patients, individuals in rural areas were also less likely to receive prescriptions [5].
As GLP-1 access may expand, ahead of TrumpRX’s launch in 2026 that promises affordable GLP-1 [6], WHO stresses the role of qualified health care providers, strong oversight, patient education and global cooperation to protect public health, as increased demand is fueling falsified products, the organization states. Obesity also requires multidisciplinary care, and GLP-1 is not a solution to all weight gain; WHO offers three pillars of care [3]:
- Implement strong, population-wide policies that foster healthier environments.
- Protect those with high risk for obesity and related conditions through focused screening and well-designed early interventions.
- Ensure access to lifelong, person-centred care.
Our new guidance recognizes that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “While medication alone won’t solve this global health crisis, GLP-1 therapies can help millions overcome obesity and reduce its associated harms.”
References:
1- https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/research-and-discoveries-articles/research-on-glp-1-drugs
2-https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2842199
4- https://data.worldobesity.org/publications/world-obesity-atlas-2025-v7.pdf
5-https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2833367
6-https://www.medestheticsmag.com/home/article/22954809/trumprx-to-offer-discounted-glp1-drugs-in-2026what-aesthetic-providers-should-know-about-access-pricing-patient-retention
