WHO releases first global guideline on GLP-1 therapies for obesity treatment - Video

Obesity now affects over 1 billion people worldwide, driving millions of deaths and trillions in costs-yet new WHO guidance offers hope through GLP-1 therapies like semaglutide and tirzepatide.

Released December 1, 2025, this first-ever global guideline conditionally recommends these drugs for long-term adult obesity treatment (BMI ≥30 kg/m²), excluding pregnant women, as part of comprehensive care including diet, exercise, and professional support.

Obesity, recognized as a chronic and relapsing disease, significantly heightens risks for cardiovascular diseases like heart attacks and strokes, type 2 diabetes, various cancers, fatty liver disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea, and worsened infectious disease outcomes-potentially doubling global cases by 2030 without urgent interventions.

The guideline, developed via extensive evidence review and stakeholder consultations including those with lived experience, stresses multisectoral strategies: healthier environments, high-risk screening, and lifelong person-centered care.

WHO's guideline panel analyzed clinical trials showing GLP-1 therapies yield 15-25% weight loss, improved metabolic health, and reduced complications. Two key conditional recommendations emerged: (1) long-term GLP-1 use for adults, based on strong efficacy but tempered by gaps in long-term safety, discontinuation data, high costs, and equity issues; (2) pairing with intensive behavioral interventions like structured diet/exercise programs, supported by low-certainty evidence of enhanced outcomes.

Implementation focuses on equitable access amid supply limits—projected to reach <10% of eligible people by 2030. WHO urges pooled procurement, tiered pricing, and voluntary licensing, plus health system readiness to prioritize high-need cases. In September 2025, GLP-1s joined the Essential Medicines List for high-risk type 2 diabetes.

While groundbreaking, the guidance warns medications alone won't reverse obesity's societal crisis. Regular updates will incorporate emerging evidence, supporting WHO's acceleration plan to halt obesity through policy, prevention, and fair treatment access worldwide.

REFERENCE: WHO issues global guideline on the use of GLP-1 medicines in treating obesity; https://www.who.int/news/item/01-12-2025-who-issues-global-guideline-on-the-use-of-glp-1-medicines-in-treating-obesity