WHO Recommends Some GLP-1 Medications For Obesity

The UN's World Health Organization (WHO) released its first guidelines for Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) medications "for treating obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease" on Monday. Its recommendations come "in response to requests from its Member States looking to address the challenges posed by obesity."

The Guidelines: The organization recommended the medications as long-term treatments for adults (excluding pregnant women), pending further research. It noted, "The recommendation is conditional due to limited data on their long-term efficacy and safety, maintenance and discontinuation, their current costs, inadequate health-system preparedness, and potential equity implications." The WHO conditionally named GLP-1s as an "essential medicine" for type 2 diabetes in high-risk groups, "as part of a comprehensive approach that includes healthy diets, regular physical activity and support from health professionals." The organization suggested that its guidelines can "help efforts to reduce skyrocketing health costs" but noted, "Obesity is not only an individual concern but also a societal challenge that requires multisectoral action."

Worldwide Obesity Crisis: Obesity, defined by the WHO as "having a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 30 or higher in adults," reportedly affects over 1 billion people and "was associated with 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024." The WHO warned that the obesity rate is projected to double and cost $3 trillion annually by 2030 "without decisive action."

How The Media Covered It: AllSides did not find any coverage of this story from news media on the right at the time of this article's publication. ABC News (Lean Left bias) stressed the limitations and regulatory measures of the guidelines, highlighting the WHO's assertion that GLP-1s should not be used as a sole treatment for obesity. ABC did not give voice to any direct opposition to the guidelines. Reuters (Center) said, "The guidance comes as demand for the class of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists has surged worldwide, and governments are figuring out how to include the blockbuster therapies into public health systems." The outlet stressed the conditionality of the treatments and emphasized the WHO's push for their equitable and affordable distribution. New York Post (Lean Right) didn't cover the WHO's guideline release and instead covered reports of "a slew of potential side effects [to GLP-1s], like nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, headaches and changes to the skin." The outlet included some contradictory reports as well but notably cited a WHO-associated study from 2024 that "found a signal of semaglutide-associated suicidal ideation." 

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