India, Dec. 2 -- The UN World Health Organization (WHO) has issued its first guideline on the use of a new class of weight-loss medicines, marking a significant shift in global health policy as obesity rates continue to rise.

The guidance focuses on GLP-1 therapies - medicines such as liraglutide, semaglutide and tirzepatide - and offers conditional recommendations on how they can be used safely as part of long-term treatment.

More than one billion people worldwide live with obesity, which was linked to 3.7 million deaths in 2024.

Without stronger action, WHO warns the number of people affected could double by 2030, placing immense pressure on health systems and pushing global economic losses to an estimated $3 trillion a year.

"Obesi...