In healthcare, the world is at a tipping point. Obesity is becoming one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time, and it is accelerating fast.
For too long, obesity has been seen, wrongly, as a matter of personal responsibility, a result of poor lifestyle choices or a lack of willpower. That thinking is not only outdated, but it is misleading. Now, the World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes obesity as a chronic, relapsing, and progressive disease. A disease that ought to be managed like any other serious health condition; with science, structure, and compassion versus social stigma.
On September 25, global leaders will convene to tackle the world’s most pressing noncommunicable disease (NCD) and mental health challenges at the Fourth High-Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the Prevention and Control of NCDs and the Promotion of Mental Health and Well-being (HLM4). Key NCDs to be addressed include cardiovascular diseases (such as heart disease and stroke), cancers, diabetes, and chronic respiratory diseases, which are the leading cause of death, morbidity and disability globally. Obesity is a primary risk factor to many of these NCDs, including heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and certain cancers.
The Department of Health – Abu Dhabi has already taken the initiative to spearhead a global shift in obesity management. On June 12, the UAE’s capital became one of the first in the region, and among a few globally, to implement a reimbursement policy for non-surgical obesity treatments. This is not just a policy change. It is a paradigm shift, placing science and patients at the center of care.
And yet despite the science, many other countries still don’t recognize obesity as a disease. Patients are denied access to care, and policies lag far behind medical reality.
Abu Dhabi’s approach sets a new benchmark. It combines scientific recognition of obesity with real-world action: public coverage for innovative, evidence-based treatments such as GLP-1 receptor agonists. It also underscores a broader health vision – one that integrates prevention, early intervention, and equitable access. That is something even some of the world’s most advanced health systems are still struggling to achieve.
This bold policy marks a historic shift toward science-backed care that will potentially help patients in the region.
Despite the evidence, across the rest of the world, many people living with obesity still face social stigma, blame, and denial of care. These attitudes and perceptions are unjust and, importantly, scientifically unfounded. Obesity is a disease, not a decision, driven by a complex web of genetic, biological, environmental, and socioeconomic factors. Just as no one chooses to have asthma or cancer, people do not choose obesity.
Today, one in every eight people worldwide lives with obesity. This figure is expected to double by 2030. In fact, millions of premature deaths are attributed to obesity-related noncommunicable diseases such as stroke and respiratory illness.
But beyond the numbers lies a deeper story; obesity significantly increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and cancers.
Another often-overlooked consequence is the economic toll of obesity, no less alarming than the health impact. The financial toll is substantial. If left unaddressed, the global cost of overweight and obesity will exceed $3 trillion annually by 2030, through reduced productivity, premature death, and spiraling healthcare expenses. Even modest progress can have a considerable economic impact. Slowing the rise of obesity by just 5% could generate global savings of $430 billion per year. However, addressing obesity goes beyond mitigating its associated costs; research shows that combating obesity improves overall health and productivity, ultimately driving economic growth.
Like in Abu Dhabi, government policy must be matched with speed. Implementation must be swift. Patients worldwide cannot afford to wait for access while systems catch up. Delays in access could undermine the very outcomes these policies aim to improve. By improving health outcomes and reducing long-term costs, Abu Dhabi is showing how to turn public health investment into national value. This model is not only good for patients; it is good for economies and societies.
This is a global wake-up call. It is a template for how countries everywhere should respond. By combining clinical science with inclusive access, Abu Dhabi is showing what it means to take obesity as a disease seriously. It is creating a future where patients are no longer denied care due to outdated misconceptions and social stigma. It is proof that with government policy l, scientific integrity, and system-wide alignment, we can turn the tide on obesity.
At Lilly, we are advancing scientific innovations at the forefront of obesity care, always centering our patients. We are committed to developing life-changing therapies that address root causes of obesity, and its complications. But medicine alone is not enough. We need governments, policy makers, providers, and communities to act decisively and in coordination. The time to act is now.