WHO Endorses GLP-1: A New Hope in Obesity Treatment

The World Health Organization has issued guidelines recommending GLP-1 therapies for long-term obesity treatment, affecting over 1 billion people. The guidelines suggest combining these drugs with diet and exercise. Despite the efficacy of GLP-1 therapies, accessibility remains a challenge, with only 10% of potential users predicted to access them by 2030.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued its inaugural guideline on using GLP-1 therapies for obesity, endorsing their inclusion in long-term treatment regimes. This announcement arrives as the demand for GLP-1 agonists rises globally, prompting governments to integrate them into national health strategies.

The recommendation supports GLP-1 drugs for adults, excluding pregnant women, as a component of sustained obesity management. WHO emphasizes accompanying these medications with diet and physical activity interventions. Acknowledging obesity as a chronic disease, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus highlighted the necessity for a comprehensive, lifelong approach to treatment.

This guidance follows WHO’s September decision to list semaglutide and tirzepatide as essential drugs for type 2 diabetes management. WHO noted the global economic impact of obesity, expected to reach an annual cost of $3 trillion by 2030, and identified restricted access as a significant barrier to GLP-1 therapies.