For decades, obesity has posed one of the most formidable threats to public health. Individuals living with obesity are at heightened risk of myriad co-morbid conditions, ranging from cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes to certain cancers. Given the expansive health implications of obesity, its prevention and treatment are critical to improving population health outcomes. In Europe, the burden of obesity remains high due to the high prevalence of sedentism and the penetration of calorically dense foods. However, the proliferation of novel anti-obesity medications such as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) offer highly effective treatment pathways for obesity. To advise on the next steps in reducing obesity across Europe in the era of GLP-1RAs, Søren Holm and colleagues from the European Cluster of Obesity Research Projects (OBEClust) offered a set of policy recommendations in the June 2026 edition of The Lancet Regional Health – Europe. GlobalData epidemiologists forecast that between 2026 and 2035, the diagnosed prevalent cases of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) will increase from approximately 52 million cases to nearly 53.5 million cases in the five major European markets (5EU: France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK). The impact of GLP-1RAs, paired with policies such as those proposed by OBEClust, could lead to fewer cases than those forecasted based on current trends.
Holm and colleagues outlined the current landscape of obesity prevention and treatment from a clinical and policy standpoint. They contend that the expanding availability of GLP-1RAs is a promising development for the treatment of obesity, but novel clinical interventions cannot be regarded as a singular fix against the wider obesogenic environment. The behavioural risk factors underlying obesity’s growing prevalence in the past decades are predicated on a food system that promotes obesogenic diets, wider exposure to pollutants that may disrupt individuals’ metabolic functions, and environments that discourage physical activity. Furthermore, pharmacotherapy remains unaffordable to many and is disfavoured among those who suffer from adverse side effects. Considering these factors, the study authors posit a seven-point plan for policymakers that prioritises obesity prevention through structural reforms in food, environments, and health equity. While treatment with novel anti-obesity medications is featured in this proposal, it should be accompanied by behavioural and environmental support for patients. Effectively, the study authors and OBEClust propose a framework that strives to make GLP-1RAs widely available to those who need them, while simultaneously limiting the number of individuals in need of pharmacotherapy through prevention.
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Amid a media and market cycle that has highlighted the potential benefits of novel anti-obesity medication, Holm and colleagues make a compelling case for holistic approaches to the obesity epidemic. Through utilising GLP-1RAs as tools within a wider a policy framework, their proposals seek to refocus public attention on the underlying drivers of obesity, many of which have become more prominent in recent years. Provided that policymakers and health authorities act accordingly, there is the potential for a maximum impact in the prevention and treatment of obesity.
