GLP-1 nutrition in the age of GLP-1s: When appetite shrinks but responsibility expands

Abstract

Obesity, the chronic, multifaceted, and relapsing ailment, remains a significant public health crisis worldwide and is a prime contributor to increased risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Close to 74% of all deaths globally have been attributed to various NCDs such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases (CVDs), cancers, and chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs) (Hildebrand and Pfeifer, 2025), while approximately 5 million fatalities per year have been directly attributed to overweight/obesity and higher than optimal body mass index (BMI) score (World Health Organization, 2026). In this context, pharmacological treatments are experiencing a significant surge in obesity management, owing to the fact that dietary and lifestyle changes alone often produce gradual and limited results (Qi et al., 2024). This pronounced shift, in particular, has been supported by growing insights into the biological processes that regulate appetite and energy balance.

Keyword: Obesity, Overweight, Body Mass Index (BMI), Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), Pharmacological Treatment, Appetite Regulation, Energy Balance, Public Health