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 its GLP-1 guideline for obesity in response to requests from its Member States, after analyzing available research on GLP-1 and consulting with stakeholders, including people with lived experience.
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]. However, WHO highlights the fact that medicines alone will not solve the problem, calling for urgent action on manufacturing, affordability and system readiness to meet global needs [3].
Lancet published a study in 2024, evaluating trends in underweight and obese adults from 1990 to 2022. It found that fewer than 5% of women in six countries—Vietnam, Timor-Leste, Japan, Burundi, Madagascar and Ethiopia—had obesity, and the same was true for men in 17 countries across South and Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. In contrast, obesity rates exceeded 60% among women in eight countries and among men in six countries, all located in Polynesia and Micronesia [4].
Although many people are obese and seeking GLP-1, and care is expanding, accessibility is still not as available as it could be. By 2030, over 2.9 billion adults are likely to be living with obesity [5], and the current production of GLP-1 therapies covers around 100 million people, WHO states [2].
As GLP-1 access expands, ahead of TrumpRX’s launch in 2026 that promises affordable GLP-1, 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, WHO 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://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)02750-2/fulltext
5- https://data.worldobesity.org/publications/world-obesity-atlas-2025-v7.pdf
