On December 1, 2025, WHO released its first global guideline recommending the use of GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) receptor-agonist therapies — including Semaglutide, Tirzepatide and Liraglutide — for the long-term treatment of obesity in adults (excluding pregnant women), as part of comprehensive chronic-disease care. World Health Organization+2JAMA Network+2
Importantly, the recommendation is conditional — WHO stresses that GLP-1 drugs should be offered alongside healthy diets, regular physical activity, and behavioral support — not as standalone “slimming shots.” World Health Organization+2World Health Organization+2
This guideline comes amid a mounting global obesity crisis. WHO estimates that more than 1 billion people worldwide currently live with obesity. The warning says that without bold action, obesity-related deaths and economic costs will continue to rise. Reuters+2World Health Organization+2
In the Philippines, public-health authorities have noted a steady increase in overweight and obesity prevalence. According to data from the national Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), in the 2018–2019 Expanded National Nutrition Survey (ENNS), combined overweight and obesity among Filipino adults reached 38.0 percent. enutrition.fnri.dost.gov.ph+1
Given this context, WHO’s new guideline is likely to intensify debates: Should costly, long-term GLP-1 therapies be integrated into national obesity strategies — and if so, how?
A global shift in obesity treatment policy
WHO’s 2025 guideline marks a major shift in global obesity care. For the first time, the agency formally recognizes GLP-1–based medicines as an acceptable long-term therapeutic tool for obesity — treating obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease requiring sustained care rather than a temporary cosmetic issue. JAMA Network+2The United Nations Office at Geneva+2
Under the guideline:
- GLP-1 therapies may be used by adults (excluding pregnant women) for long-term obesity treatment, but only under structured chronic-care programmes that combine pharmacotherapy with behavioral, nutritional, and — when needed — surgical support. JAMA Network+2World Health Organization+2
- The use is conditional, reflecting real-world challenges: limited long-term data on efficacy and safety, uncertain outcomes on maintenance or weight regain, high drug costs, and the readiness of health systems — especially in low- and middle-income countries — to deliver chronic injectable therapy at scale. JAMA Network+2World Health Organization+2
In a statement, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said that while medications alone will not solve the obesity epidemic, GLP-1 therapies “can help millions overcome obesity and reduce its associated harms.” World Health Organization+1
At the same time, the guideline underscores the need for prevention and broader public-health measures: healthier diets, physical activity, supportive environments — with medicines as an added tool, not a replacement for structural action. World Health Organization+2The United Nations Office at Geneva+2
What GLP-1 medicines deliver — and where uncertainty remains
The support for GLP-1 therapies by WHO is grounded in substantial (though not unlimited) clinical evidence. According to the guideline’s review, randomized controlled trials have shown that GLP-1 receptor agonists can lead to clinically significant weight loss and improvements in metabolic parameters. JAMA Network+2Guideline Central+2
In global trials of semaglutide and tirzepatide among adults with obesity, many participants achieved double-digit percentage reductions in body weight, along with improved glycemic control, lower blood pressure, and better cardiometabolic risk markers — especially when these drugs were combined with lifestyle interventions. JAMA Network+2World Health Organization+2
However, WHO and independent experts note important caveats: long-term efficacy and safety data remain limited — particularly regarding maintenance of weight loss after stopping therapy, potential side effects, and long-term adverse events. World Health Organization+2JAMA Network+2
Common side effects linked to GLP-1 drugs include nausea, vomiting, constipation, and diarrhea. Although these are often mild and tend to subside over time or after therapy cessation, more serious gastrointestinal issues — including pancreatitis, biliary disease, gastroparesis, or bowel problems — continue to be evaluated. World Health Organization+1
Moreover, widespread access remains a major challenge: cost, limited supply, health-system capacity, and equity constraints may severely limit who can benefit — especially in low- and middle-income countries. JAMA Network+2The United Nations Office at Geneva+2
The Philippine obesity landscape
In the Philippines, public-health data show a rising trend in overweight and obesity over the past decades. According to FNRI’s 2018–2019 ENNS, 38.0 percent of adults were overweight or obese. enutrition.fnri.dost.gov.ph+1
Among adolescents, the same institute found that overweight and obesity prevalence rose from 11.6 percent in 2018 to 13.0 percent in 2021. GMA Network+1
Experts attribute these increasing trends to lifestyle, dietary, environmental, and socioeconomic factors — including urbanization, greater consumption of processed and energy-dense foods, sedentary behavior, and limited access to healthy diets. FNRI Website+2National Nutrition Council+2
Because of these trends, many public-health stakeholders argue that prevention must remain central — particularly for children and adolescents — even as better treatment options emerge.
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Promise, cost, and equity challenges
With WHO’s new guideline, GLP-1 medicines now carry increased legitimacy as legitimate tools for obesity treatment. Some of these medicines — such as semaglutide or liraglutide — are already registered and available in the Philippines. The United Nations Office at Geneva+1
As a result, greater demand may follow, especially among higher-income individuals or patients at private clinics. But serious barriers remain to equitable nationwide access. High drug costs, limited supply, health-system readiness, and many Filipinos’ reliance on under-resourced public health services — combined with limited disposable income — may restrict access to a privileged minority. JAMA Network+2The United Nations Office at Geneva+2
If not addressed, there is a risk that GLP-1 therapies will widen health disparities rather than help close them. Managing obesity at scale would require careful planning, resources, and safeguards.
Meanwhile, national nutrition-policy advocates emphasize the need to strengthen preventive measures: improving food environments, promoting healthy diets and physical activity, regulating unhealthy food marketing, and early screening and lifestyle interventions — especially among young people.
What the new WHO guideline means for the Philippines — and what remains uncertain
With WHO’s conditional endorsement of GLP-1 therapies, the global community gains a newly validated tool in the fight against obesity. For the Philippines, this might offer additional therapeutic options — especially for individuals with severe obesity, metabolic complications (e.g., type 2 diabetes, hypertension), or those unable to achieve adequate results through lifestyle changes alone.
But success is far from automatic. High drug costs, limited supply, health-system capacity constraints, and equity issues remain major obstacles. Unless addressed, GLP-1 medicines may end up accessible only to the wealthy — while many others are left with prevention messages that are hard to sustain in obesogenic environments.
At the same time, long-term efficacy, safety, and sustainability remain uncertain. The available data support short- to medium-term weight loss. But evidence on maintenance, relapse after discontinuation, and long-term adverse events remains limited. The WHO guideline itself acknowledges these uncertainties and calls for careful monitoring and further research. JAMA Network+2World Health Organization+2
Thus, as WHO recommends, GLP-1 therapies must be embedded within comprehensive, person-centered obesity-care programs that include diet, exercise, behavioral support, and — when needed — surgical or other interventions — plus long-term follow-up.
For the Philippines, already grappling with rising rates of overweight, obesity, and nutrition challenges, this guideline represents both opportunity and caution. GLP-1 medicines could offer an additional treatment tool for high-risk individuals. Yet because of cost, equity gaps, health-system limitations, and lack of long-term data, they are unlikely to become a universal solution anytime soon.
In the end, while the new guideline may reshape clinical practice for some, the broader burden of obesity will still depend on public-health action: healthier food environments, access to nutritious diets, promotion of physical activity, robust primary care, and prevention.
As 2026 begins — amid New Year health resolutions and renewed attention to diet and weight — Filipinos and policymakers must confront a simple question: will modern medicine expand access to better care — or distract from the deeper, structural changes that public health demands?
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
