WHO Sounds Alert Over Acute Lack of Obesity Medications

Less than one in 10 individuals eligible to benefit from obesity jabs such as Wegovy can access them, warns the World Health Organization as it releases its inaugural advice on the medications.

Given over a billion people worldwide currently living with obesity, it is advocating for increased and just access to this class of drugs.

Per projections, over two billion are projected to be obese by 2030 without intervention.

"The latest guidance affirms that obesity is a chronic disease that can be treated with holistic and ongoing care," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

High costs, insufficient output, and logistical bottlenecks are key barriers to broad access to the treatments that can assist patients in reducing considerable body mass, explains the body.

Skinny Jab Supply Crisis

Even in the current most optimistic outlook, the supply of GLP-1 therapies could only cover around 100 million people – under 10% of eligible patients, per the health organization.

The recommendation calls on countries and companies to increase access, by approaches like patent sharing.

A patent on the active ingredient – the primary component of Novo Nordisk's Wegovy – is set to lapse in a number of nations in 2026.

How Obesity Injections Function

These medications mimick a natural hormone to reduce digestion speed, reduce hunger and increase satiety so individuals consume fewer calories.

Individuals typically begin shedding pounds after several weeks of commencing the weekly injections.

Studies suggests users may put most of the weight back on after a year of discontinuing the medication, as their usual hunger resume.

To be carrying excess weight increases your chance for contracting health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular issues, brain attack, and specific malignancies.

Excess weight impacts individuals in all nations and was linked to 3.7 million deaths worldwide in 2024, per the health agency.