Daijiworld Media Network - Paris
Paris, Nov 6: The fight against obesity has become one of the greatest medical challenges of the 21st century, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) warning that over one billion people worldwide including 880 million adults and 160 million children are currently affected.
France, like many other countries, has not been spared. The prevalence of obesity among the French population has steadily risen from 8.5% in 1997 to 17% in 2020, with experts predicting further increases in the coming years.
Recent years have seen the arrival of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analogues, such as liraglutide (Saxenda), semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic), and tirzepatide (Mounjaro). These drugs, initially used to manage type 2 diabetes, have shown remarkable results in promoting weight loss and improving metabolic health.
GLP-1 analogues work by enhancing insulin production, suppressing appetite, and slowing gastric emptying. In clinical studies, patients treated with semaglutide lost up to 15% of their body weight within 68 weeks.
However, while the results are promising, specialists caution that these drugs are not a cure. “The treatment is effective, but obesity is a complex, multifactorial disease — it cannot be solved by a weekly injection,” said one expert, stressing the need for continued lifestyle interventions and psychological support.
Research shows that obesity arises from a mix of genetic, hormonal, environmental, psychological, and socio-economic factors. Modern lifestyles — dominated by ultra-processed foods, sedentary behaviour, and exposure to endocrine disruptors — have created what many call an “obesogenic environment.”
Experts emphasise that addressing obesity effectively requires considering the “exposome” — the sum of all environmental exposures throughout an individual’s life — as well as social inequalities that limit access to healthy food and physical activity.
Public health authorities warn that focusing solely on pharmacological solutions may divert attention from preventive measures that could reduce obesity rates more sustainably.
In France, the cost of GLP-1 treatments — around €300 per month — and the lack of national reimbursement also raise concerns about equity in healthcare access.
“Prevention remains cheaper than cure,” health economists argue, urging for stronger policies promoting healthy diets, taxation on junk food, better urban planning for active mobility, and education initiatives to counter lifestyle-related risks.
Experts conclude that fighting obesity requires multidisciplinary cooperation involving doctors, nutritionists, educators, urban planners, and policymakers.
While medications like GLP-1 analogues represent a valuable advancement, they must be viewed as one component of a broader strategy that combines medical innovation, prevention, and public awareness.
Only through comprehensive, inclusive, and long-term health policies, they say, can societies hope to curb the growing obesity epidemic and its associated health and economic costs.