OBEClust highlights the need for structural action alongside GLP-1 therapies

A new position paper published in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe calls for renewed and sustained investment in obesity prevention, warning that recent advances in pharmacological treatments should not divert attention from the root causes of the epidemic.

Endorsed by a pan-European network of over 700 researchers within the OBEClust initiative, the paper highlights that while GLP-1 receptor agonists, such as Wegovy and Ozempic, represent a significant breakthrough in obesity treatment, they are not sufficient to address the structural drivers behind rising obesity rates.

Obesity affects more than one billion people globally and continues to increase across Europe. This trend is shaped by complex and interconnected factors, including unhealthy food environments, urban design that limits opportunities for physical activity, socioeconomic inequalities, and broader commercial determinants of health.

According to Jeroen Lakerveld, one of the lead authors, “pharmacological treatments can improve health outcomes for individuals, but they do not address the root causes of obesity. Without structural change, the number of new cases will remain high. Prevention is essential to achieve sustainable and equitable improvements in population health.”

The paper outlines several key policy priorities:

• Strengthening regulation of food systems
• Promoting environments that support physical activity
• Addressing socioeconomic inequalities
• Integrating prevention and treatment strategies

It also draws attention to the economic implications of relying heavily on long-term pharmacological treatments without tackling underlying causes, warning of increasing pressure on healthcare systems.

OBEClust supports a coordinated, cross-sector approach that prioritises prevention while ensuring equitable access to effective treatment. The authors emphasise that the emergence of new therapies should reinforce, not replace, the need for comprehensive prevention strategies.

Read the full article here.

Learn more about OBEClust here.

Key messages

• The arrival of GLP-1 receptor agonists marks a major advance in obesity management but does not address the underlying causes, so the need for strong primary prevention remains urgent.
• Prevention and treatment are complementary, but not equal priorities: preventive action requires greater and more sustained investment to achieve population-wide and long-term benefits.
• Both prevention and treatment are needed and investment in one does not mean disinvestment in the other.
• Pharmacological treatment addresses individual outcomes but leaves the societal, commercial, and environmental drivers of obesity untouched.
• Strengthening policies and environments that make healthy choices easy remains essential for sustainable, equitable, and economically viable control of obesity in Europe and worldwide.