On Obesity: Ozempic is Not Enough

Last week, former Novo Nordisk CEO Lars Fruergaard said “the world needs more than drugs to fight obesity” and “society can pull together to avoid a health and economic catastrophe.” His other comments (from The Economist) included: 

• “The annual global cost of obesity alone is forecast to reach $4.3 trillion by 2035 … Such eye-popping numbers underline the futility of any notion that treatment alone can be a silver bullet.

• “Obesity must be universally recognised and addressed as a multi-faceted societal responsibility rather than an individual one … This means restrictions on junk-food marketing to children and continued work toreduce the stigma associated with the disease ... It also calls for urban planning that supports people’s health, for instance by emphasizing physical exercise over travelling by car.

• “Cancer, type-2 diabetes, sleep apnoea, liver disease, chronic kidney disease, Alzheimer’s and cardiovascular disease—the biggest cause of death globally - often overlap in people living with obesity.

• “The private sector can step up to help governments with limited resources, competing demands and a burning need to effect change now.

• “My generation may have created this crisis, but the next generation, armed with a deeper understanding and hopefully wiser policies, can solve it.”

OUR TAKE

• When the former CEO of the company profiting most from obesity drugs states that pharmaceuticals are not a "silver bullet," it signals a significant acknowledgment that a treatment-only model is insufficient.

• The projected $4.3 trillion annual global cost highlights the systemic economic threat– one requiring broad solutions from governments and businesses.

• Redefining obesity as a societal challenge to be prevented, rather than managed, presents opportunities across food systems, healthcare delivery, education, urban design, and regulatory solutions.