New Delhi: While obesity is growing as a global health challenge contributing to millions of preventable deaths each year, the World Health Organisation (WHO), in a new report on Monday, said that medications like Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) alone will not solve the problem affecting more than one billion people worldwide.
WHO defines obesity as having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher in adults.
It has approved GLP-1 therapies to treat obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease. GLP-1 receptor agonists are a class of medicines that help lower blood sugar, support weight loss, reduce the risk of heart and kidney complications, and can even lower the risk of early death in people with type 2 diabetes.
But the global demand for GLP-1 therapies has fueled the spread of falsified and substandard products, threatening patient safety and trust.
In view of this, the WHO has released its first guideline on the use of GLP-1 therapies, providing recommendations specifically for three agents used in the long-term treatment of obesity in adults: liraglutide, semaglutide and tirzepatide.
With the new guideline, the WHO has issued conditional recommendations for using these therapies to support people living with obesity in overcoming this serious health challenge, as part of a comprehensive approach that includes healthy diets, regular physical activity, and support from health professionals.
"Obesity is a major global health challenge that WHO is committed to addressing by supporting countries and people worldwide to control it, effectively and equitably. Our new guidance recognises that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with comprehensive and lifelong care," said the WHO Director-General. Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"While medication alone won’t solve this global health crisis, GLP-1 therapies can help millions overcome obesity and reduce its associated harms," he added.
Obesity is a complex, chronic disease and a major driver of noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. It also contributes to poorer outcomes for patients who have infectious diseases. In addition, the global economic cost of obesity is predicted to reach $3 trillion annually by 2030.
IANS