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Review
. 2025 Sep 12;6(9):100805.
doi: 10.1016/j.medj.2025.100805. Epub 2025 Aug 19.

The societal implications of using glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for the treatment of obesity

Jadine Scragg  1 , Dimitrios A Koutoukidis  2 , Carsten Dirksen  3 , Berit Lilienthal Heitmann  4 , Susan A Jebb  2
Affiliations
Free article
Review

The societal implications of using glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for the treatment of obesity

Jadine Scragg et al. Med. .
Free article

Abstract

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP1-RAs) are weight management medications, achieving up to 15%-25% weight loss in clinical trials. Given their effectiveness and potential for scalability, GLP1-RAs are a welcome treatment option for obesity. However, not everyone who could benefit may be able to afford or want to use GLP1-RAs. There are limited data on adherence beyond clinical trials or on how to optimize adjunct behavioral therapy. There is little support offered after GLP1-RA cessation, where weight regain is marked. Without increased accessibility and lower costs, the rollout of GLP1-RAs may widen inequalities. Currently, GLP1-RAs do not offer a sustainable solution to the public health pressures caused by obesity, where prevention remains crucial. To take the best advantage of GLP1-RAs, we need to deploy them in ways that are cost effective, sustainable for healthcare systems, and equitable for societies.

Keywords: GLP1RA; glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonist; obesity; weight management.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests D.A.K. and S.A.J. are investigators in a publicly funded trial where the weight loss intervention was donated by Nestle Health Science and Oviva to the University of Oxford outside the submitted work. Over the past 3 years, C.D. has received personal fees (lecturer, consultant, and committee member) from Novo Nordisk, AstraZeneca, and Amylyx and has served in various unpaid roles (lecturer, chairperson, and principal investigator) for Novo Nordisk, Amgen, AstraZeneca, and Eli Lilly.

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