Five Big Milestones in 2025 That Matter for Obesity and Health
This year is quickly winding down and with it, some unpleasant memories may, thankfully, fade. But for our interest in obesity and health, 2025 has been a very eventful year of progress, with five milestones that are particular standouts.
So let’s pause and celebrate this progress.
1. Global Embrace of Obesity Care
Perhaps the biggest news of the year in obesity and health came on December 1 when the World Health Organization fully embraced obesity care for the first time ever. It was a long time in coming. Many people worked hard on building the foundation for this shift to new guidelines.
Until now, WHO mostly talked about obesity as a risk factor for other diseases – something that should only be prevented through changes to food systems and promoting healthier lifestyles. This is a big change because “the guidelines recognize obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease requiring lifelong care.
2. A Peak in Obesity Prevalence
Early this year, it became clear that the prevalence of overweight and obesity – BMI > 25 – may have peaked at 75% of the U.S. population. This news created much hype about the possibility of a reversal of longstanding trends of rising obesity prevalence. People have even gone so far as to suggest we are seeing an “Ozempic effect” – a drop in obesity prevalence because of growing GLP-1 use.
While we’re not buying into that hype, we definitely agree that it is good news to see prevalence of obesity and overweight is no longer growing.
3. CMS
Throughout the year, CMS has inching toward better access to obesity medicines in Medicare and Medicaid. The talk about this has been very tentative and halting but the movement – however faltering – seems to be in the right direction. In the face of many payers being uncertain about covering these vital medicines, this week’s news that CMS will indeed open up access in Medicare and Medicaid is certainly a big milestone.
Now we need to see them follow through.
4. Prices
Advanced obesity medicines like Wegovy and Mounjaro came into the market priced for profitability that put them out of reach for many people. But this is the year when net prices started to drop in meaningful ways – a critical development for opening up equitable access to obesity care for all.
5. Advanced Oral Medicines
The market has been anticipating this milestone because of a belief that oral tablets delivering the effectiveness of a GLP-1 for obesity could reach more people at a lower price than an injection ever could. The approval this week of Wegovy tablets by FDA is a big step in that direction. The milestone is this year. The fulfillment of its promise will become apparent – if it works out – in the coming year.
Christmas Eve, painting by George Inness / WikiArt
Subscribe by email to follow the accumulating evidence and observations that shape our view of health, obesity, and policy.
December 26, 2025
