HEALTH experts said that focusing solely on weight loss is an ineffective way to manage obesity.
Speaking at the Novo Nordisk Southeast Asia Obesity Summit in Makati on Saturday, health experts from the Philippines, India and Australia presented obesity as a chronic, multifaceted disease influenced by genetics, environment and societal factors.
They said that according to the latest Epidemiological Burden and Cost of Obesity in the Philippines study, 41 percent of Filipino adults — or 29 million individuals — are obese and overweight.
“Weight loss may be a good step, but ultimately, the goal is to reduce the cardio-metabolic complications brought about by the disease,” said Dr. Marjorie Ramos, head of the Section of Endocrinology of St. Luke’s Medical Center-Quezon City.
Dr. Mark Mellor, a specialist in obesity and metabolic health from Australia, noted that traditional weight-centric approaches, such as crash diets and behavior-focused interventions, often fail to produce sustainable results.
“A lot of weight-loss care, particularly in Australia, is focused around achieving kilograms lost, and that doesn’t really provide comprehensive, lifelong, long-term care for these people,” said Mellor.
He said that public perception of obesity has changed over the past decades.
“The narrative has shifted from viewing obesity as a lifestyle choice or a matter of willpower to recognizing it as a complex, chronic disease,” Mellor said, noting modern obesity care must prioritize overall health improvements and address the biological, psychological and social dimensions of the condition.
Dr. Sanjay Kalra, an endocrinologist from India, said new medications — such as semaglutide, a drug that regulates appetite — are not only effective in promoting weight loss but also provide significant cardiometabolic benefits and reduce the risk of heart disease and diabetes.
The experts cautioned against quick fixes, emphasizing the need for patients to commit to long-term care plans.
Ramos stressed that medications should only be taken under the supervision of a health professional.
“They need to seek the advice of a physician if they need to take these certain drugs — they’re very important,” she said, adding treatment should be paired with a healthy lifestyle.