The World Health Organization announced its now recommending GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic, Weogvy and Mounjaro, to manage adult obesity on Monday (December 1).
The WHO said the GLP-1 drugs can be used as long-term treatment when combined with healthy diets and physical activity, the latter of which had solely served as the organization’s previous recommended focus. The guidelines published in the medical journal JAMA on Monday marked a major shift in how it has historically framed treatment for the chronic disease.
“GLP-1 therapies mark more than a scientific breakthrough,” the officials wrote. “They represent a new chapter in the gradual conceptual shift in how society approaches obesity — from a ‘lifestyle condition’ to a complex, preventable, and treatable chronic disease.”
The guidelines did, however, specify that “medication alone cannot solve the global obesity burden” as genetics and environmental factors, such as rising stress levels or increased exposure to processed foods, were also key contributors. GLP-1 agonists can suppress the user’s appetite by mimicking hormone signals to the brain that occur when the individual is full.
The drugs have seen a spike in popularity in recent years due to their effectiveness for weight loss and lowering the risk of obesity-related conditions, with 1 in 8 adults reported to currently be taking a GLP-1 drug, according to the nonprofit health think tank KFF via NBC News. The WHO officially added GLP-1 to its list of essential medicines as a diabetes treatment in September, however, hadn’t previously added it as an obesity treatment prior to Monday’s announcement.
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