The World Health Organization (WHO) announced, in recently released draft guidelines, that it will begin recommending the use of medications to treat obesity in adults.
Obesity affects more than one billion people worldwide. Therefore, the decision marks a shift in how the global community views the disease, recognizing it not only as a result of individual habits, but as a chronic, progressive, and multifactorial condition that requires a structured clinical response.
The UN agency's opinion focuses on GLP-1 analogues, originally designed to treat type 2 diabetes and which have more recently demonstrated efficacy in weight loss. According to the WHO expert committee, these medications should be administered to people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher, always accompanied by guidance on lifestyle and behavior.
Obesity is associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some types of cancer, and serious metabolic disorders. For the WHO, the greatest challenge lies in the fact that public policies are still shaped by outdated views, which interpret obesity solely as a reflection of personal choices.
The new framework, on the contrary, highlights the influence of social, economic, and environmental determinants and reinforces the need for systemic approaches.
Despite the progress, the drugs were not included on the WHO's List of Essential Medicines, a document that defines which drugs should be available in all health systems.
The organization recognizes the effectiveness of the treatments but emphasizes that high costs create significant barriers, especially in low- and middle-income countries, where access to modern therapies remains limited.
In some high-income countries, such as the United States, the prescription of these medications has already been extended to people with a BMI between 27 and 30, provided they have diseases associated with excess weight. The WHO, however, recommends stricter criteria until equitable access is guaranteed.
The debate now open is part of a global effort to redefine how obesity is viewed not as an individual failing, but as a public health challenge that requires integrated medical, political, and social solutions.
(By Rafael Langa)
