WHO officially supports GLP-1 drugs to treat obesity

The World Health Organization has officially approved the use of GLP-1 medicines to treat obesity. In a Dec. 1 announcement, WHO calls the recommendation a “landmark policy change,” noting that obesity was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, a number that could double by 2030 without decisive action. The global economic cost of obesity is projected to rise to $3 trillion (U.S.) in the next five years. “The WHO guideline emphasizes that medicines alone will not solve the problem,” the organization says, recommending preventive screening, large-scale policies that promote health and access to lifelong, person-centered care.