Obesity rates are on the rise globally with more than 1bn adults now classified as living with obesity. What was once mostly an adult condition is also reshaping childhood. For the first time in history, there are more children living with obesity than those who are underweight, according to Unicef.
Weight-loss drugs are now available in most countries. Originally developed for Type 2 diabetes, GLP-1 therapies are the first medications capable of delivering clinically meaningful weight loss comparable to metabolic surgery.
But in some countries they can cost up to $1,300 per month, putting them out of reach for many people. In the US, uptake of GLP-1 therapies has been closely tied to insurance coverage. Cross-country comparisons show higher adoption in markets where obesity drugs are reimbursed than where patients pay out of pocket.