New WHO Guidelines Could Transform Weight Care For New Yorkers

A massive change is great news for overweight New Yorkers.

The World Health Organization is now recommending GLP-1 drugs as a tool for managing obesity.

World Health Organization Recommends GLP-1

On Monday, The WHO published its first-ever guidelines on using GLP-1 therapies, the active ingredients in Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound.

Overweight is considered adults with a BMI of 30 or higher, excluding pregnant women.

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Rather than viewing obesity as a "lifestyle condition," W-H-O officials are hopeful that obesity will now be viewed as a "complex, preventable and treatable chronic disease."

They now classify GLP-1 drugs as a long-term, conditional treatment option for adults with obesity, in conjunction with lifestyle and behavioral changes. New guidance now recognizes obesity as a complex, chronic disease requiring lifelong, person-centered care. In the past, officials focused on diet and exercise to help with obesity.

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Officials say GLP-1 therapies should be used with other weight loss strategies, including:

• Healthy diets and regular physical activity.
• Intensive behavioral therapy: I including structured counseling and goal-setting.
• Lifelong follow-up and monitoring by healthcare professionals.

Growing evidence suggests that GLP-1 drugs lower the risk of high blood pressure, heart attacks, and strokes linked to obesity.

The WHO's recommendation is "conditional" because as of now they say the benefits of the drugs likely outweigh the downsides, but more long-term data is needed regarding safety and the effects of stopping treatment.

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