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Now, medications calledÌýglucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) are reshaping the way we treat obesity.Ìý

It’s incredible to see these groundbreaking medications come to market for patients. Obesity is an epidemic affectingÌý. Doctors, insurers, policymakers and employers must recognize the health, economic and societal benefits of obesity medications and adopt policies that with GLP-1s as a new standard of care.

For too long, patients with obesity have been told they must try harder to lose weight. This approach is not only stigmatizing but inadequate. It causes lasting harm for individuals who are struggling with their condition. It strips patients of dignity, blames them for the chronic and relapsing nature of the disease, and stifles the courage it takes for patients to seek meaningful help.

I spent years watching patients come out of surgery and return to my clinic later with additional weight. Like many providers, I struggled to navigate the landscape for obesity treatment that was limited for patients and their families.

GLP-1s have given patients hope and redefined the treatment of obesity. TheÌýÌýmarket for GLP-1s reflects the tremendous promise of the treatments, as well as the dire stakes of the epidemic.

Obesity costs U.S. health care nearlyÌýÌýyearly. With more than 200 related complications such as heart disease, type-2 diabetes and certain cancers, obesity is one of the most chronic conditions globally.

GLP-1s help patients achieve weight loss and a multitude of other positive health effects. show patients taking semaglutide or tirzepatide can achieve aÌýÌýin body weight. Patients also have seen statistically significantÌýÌýandÌý. They haveÌýreportedÌý.Ìý

GLP-1s could have anÌý. They have been shown to reduce the risks for serious life-threatening conditions, including neurocognitive disorders such asÌý, as well as major cardiac events such asÌý.Ìý

New and innovative obesity medications offer patients hope and empower them to improve their health without shame. But our health care system has yet to embrace these medications as a new standard and ensure patients can access them without cost or coverage barriers.

We must be open-minded enough to follow the science and proactive enough to ensure those who can benefit from GLP-1s can get them.ÌýÌý

We would not leave treatments on the table for patients with cancer or hypertension. We shouldn’t do so for obesity. It is long past time to treat obesity with the seriousness it deserves and with the tools at our disposal.

Doctors must move beyond prescribing diet and lifestyle changes. Insurers and employers must cover treatments for obesity the way they would for any other complex, chronic disease.

Federal legislators and regulators must remove regulatory and coverage barriers that prevent access to these medications in Medicare and Medicaid. Pharmaceutical companies must continue to find ways to make GLP-1s more tolerable, including by making them available in pill form.Ìý

Patients are brave. They genuinely want to improve their health, and they should feel worthy of quality care. All those working to support patients, not just doctors, must align with our oath to act in patients’ interest and provide the best possible care.

Together, we can rewrite the obesity treatment playbook and tackle the epidemic with urgency and the full force of the latest medical innovations.

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