Obesity is becoming one of the biggest health problems in the world. In just the past 30 years, the number of people living with obesity has more than doubled.
As a result, more people are also facing serious health problems like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. This puts a heavy burden on hospitals, health systems, and national economies everywhere.
But now, a new study co-led by researchers at Mass General Brigham suggests that a group of medications called GLP-1s could help millions of people.
‘These drugs are already used to treat type 2 diabetes and to help with weight loss. The study, which was published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology, looked at how many people around the world could benefit from these medications.
The researchers analyzed health data from 810,635 adults in 99 countries. They focused on people aged 25 to 64 and looked at their weight, blood pressure, and diabetes history. Anyone with a body mass index (BMI) over 30—or over 27 if they also had high blood pressure or diabetes—was considered eligible for GLP-1 treatment.
The results were eye-opening. More than one in four adults worldwide—about 27%—might benefit from using GLP-1 medications for weight management. That’s a huge number. Even more striking, most of these people live in low- and middle-income countries. In fact, four out of five eligible adults are from these areas.
Some groups were more likely to be eligible than others. For example, women had a higher eligibility rate (28.5%) than men, and older people were more likely (38.3%) to qualify than younger people (17.9%). Certain regions also stood out, such as Europe and North America, where 42.8% of adults were eligible, and the Pacific Islands, where 41.0% could benefit.
These numbers are not just statistics—they show the potential for real change. Dr. Jennifer Manne-Goehler, one of the study’s senior authors, says that GLP-1 medications are a game changer.
“For years, we told people that obesity was simply a matter of eating less and moving more,” she said. “But these medicines show us that biology plays a much bigger role than we thought.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) is now working to make GLP-1 drugs more widely available. But before these medicines can be offered on a larger scale, health leaders need to know how many people might need them. This study provides that information and could help shape new health policies.
However, there are still challenges. GLP-1 medications are expensive and not easy to access in many parts of the world. There’s also more to learn about their long-term safety and how they should be used over time.
And while the drugs may be helpful, experts say they shouldn’t replace healthy lifestyle habits. More support is needed for prevention strategies that help people stay healthy without relying only on medication.
Co-lead author Dr. Felix Teufel from Emory University stressed that getting these medications to people who need them is a matter of fairness. “We must ensure large-scale access for people who would benefit the most—not just those who are easiest to reach,” he said.
In short, this study shows that GLP-1 drugs have the potential to improve the lives of millions. But to make a real difference, health systems around the world will need to work together to make these medicines more accessible and affordable, especially for the people who need them the most.
If you care about weight loss, please read studies that hop extract could reduce belly fat in overweight people, and early time-restricted eating could help lose weight .
For more health information, please see recent studies that Mediterranean diet can reduce belly fat much better, and Keto diet could help control body weight and blood sugar in diabetes.
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