World Health Organization issues first-ever guidelines for use of GLP-1 weight loss medications

The World Health Organization on Monday released new guidance on GLP-1 medications for adults with obesity, recommending their long-term, continuous use when clinically appropriate. The medications covered include semaglutide (Wegovy), liraglutide (Saxenda) and tirzepatide (Zepbound).

The recommendations, published in the medical journal JAMA, emphasize that these medications alone are not a solution to treating the global obesity epidemic. Obesity is a chronic disease that needs lifelong care and is best treated with long-term GLP-1 use combined with a structured program that includes healthy eating, regular movement and ongoing counseling to lose and maintain weight loss, according to the WHO...