2025/06/21 by Sarah Cuschieri, Andrea Cuschieri, Shehzad Ali +1 · 1 voice
Health Professions · Medicine · #Obesity and Health Practices #Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet #Pharmacology and Obesity Treatment
paper · pdf · doi:10.1016/j.numecd.2025.104205
openalex publication_date 2025/06/21 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
AIM: This viewpoint aims to critically examine the growing reliance on pharmacological treatments for obesity and highlight the limitations of such an approach. DATA SYNTHESIS: Literature from reputable databases and public health registries were sought and used to formulate an evidence-based viewpoint, critically synthesizing current research on obesity pharmacotherapy and its implications within a broader socio-environmental context. CONCLUSIONS: In response to the obesity epidemic, pharmacological treatments have gained significant attention for their ability to produce substantial weight loss in the short-term. However, the increasing reliance on these medication risks narrowing the understanding, prevention and management of obesity to a purely clinical issue, overlooking its deeper individual-level and societal causes. While pharmacological interventions may offer short-term benefits, they do not address the root causes of obesity, such as the socio-environmental drivers influencing food choices with over-reliance on high-calorie and processed foods, sedentary lifestyles, and socio-economic disparities. Additionally, the high cost of these treatments exacerbates health inequities, limiting access for vulnerable populations. Obesity must be approached as a complex, multifaceted condition, requiring multisectoral approaches as well as integrated care models that combine pharmacological treatments with behavioural interventions, lifestyle modifications, and systemic policy changes. Population-wide strategies are crucial for long-term prevention. This viewpoint argues for comprehensive, multisectoral approaches to obesity prevention and management that moves beyond pharmacological solutions to address the broader socio-environmental factors contributing to the obesity epidemic. Only through systemic changes can we expect to improve public health outcomes and reduce the global burden of obesity.