The case for primary prevention of obesity in the era of GLP-1 therapies.

Authors

Søren Holm, Manuel Tena-Sempere, Dimitrios Koutsouris, George V Dedoussis, Karl-Heinz Wagner, Sara Arranz, Philippe Froguel, Torsten Bohn, Paulo J Oliveira, Jeroen Lakerveld, OBEClust

Published in

The Lancet regional health. Europe. Volume 66. Pages 101679. Epub Apr 16, 2026.

Abstract

Obesity rates continue to rise across Europe, driven by obesogenic environments shaped by food systems, urban design, socioeconomic inequalities, and commercial forces. The introduction of incretin-based pharmacotherapies like GLP-1 receptor agonists has transformed treatment, leading to significant weight loss and metabolic benefits for many. This progress has shifted public and policy discourse, with some suggesting that effective treatment reduces the urgency of prevention. However, this position paper argues that the growing availability of medications actually reinforces the need to prioritize primary prevention. While pharmacotherapy can improve individual outcomes, it cannot lower population-level risk or deliver the wider societal, environmental, and economic benefits of prevention. The paper also outlines key policy implications to reaffirm prevention as a cornerstone of public health across Europe.

PMID:
42403918
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 06 Jul 2026.

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