Usage of GLP-1 drugs surged in recent years, rising over 140% from 2022 to 2024, which had a significant impact on hospital services aimed at treating obesity. In that same timeframe, bariatric surgery volumes fell 34 percent
Dr. Amy Ho says there’ a paradigm shift in treating obesity as a disease. “Any surgery is going to be more invasive than a drug, so this gives a very attainable alternative. (although cost prohibited). I think that the fact that GLP 1’s have been as successful and as effective as they have been, allows us to treat obesity as a disease rather than a <a href="https://healthylife7.com/baseball-lifestyle-101-is-this-years-hot-back-to/” title=”Baseball Lifestyle 101 is this year's hot back-to”>lifestyle judgment.” She said
The report shows the medications have surpassed oncology treatments for the first time in 16 years. Cardiovascular events have also decreased by 20 percent. “We can start treating obesity as a disease- which is what it is. We need to stop judging it and recognize it is a significant health code morbidity and there are medical interventions available nowadays.” Dr. Ho said
She says Medicare’s Balance model is looking at ways for obesity to be covered as a disease instead of a lifestyle choice lowering the monthly cost of the drug by hundreds of dollars
