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WHO issues guidelines on GLP-1 therapies for obesity treatment: Understanding the impact, safety considerations, and who can benefit

This week, the World Health Organization entered a new arena with its first global guideline on GLP-1 therapies for obesity treatment. Released on December 1, 2025, the document conditionally recommends drugs like semaglutide, liraglutide, and tirzepatide for adults with a BMI of 30 or higher-but only as part of a lifelong plan that pairs them with healthy diets, regular physical activity, and professional counseling. This comes at a time when over one billion people worldwide struggle with obesity a figure predicted to double by 2030-driving up deaths from heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers while costing trillions in health expenses. WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called it a tool to treat obesity as the chronic disease it truly is, not a quick fix.