Obesity cure is here? Why it could be a win-win for all stakeholders

If you are overweight, it is unlikely that you would have missed the advertising and media coverage around the new obesity medications. Efforts are on by global pharma majors to build awareness around obesity and the way it is perceived. 

What is obesity and why does it matter? “Overweight” and “obesity” are measured through the body mass index (BMI) – a measure of your weight in relation to your height. What is yours? It is easy to calculate if you know your weight in kilograms and your height in metres [BMI = weight in kg / (height in metres)2]. The medical fraternity has been trying to define or redefine the ideal BMI. The general consensus is that a person is categorised underweight when the BMI is less than 18.5, normal when it is 18.5 to 24.9, overweight at 25 to 29.9, and obese when the BMI is more than 30. Numerous illnesses like heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and high blood pressure have been shown to be associated with obesity.

  We Indians have had a different perspective around obesity. Our mothers have always obsessed about our weight, but the other way around. “Itne patle ho gaye ho” (you have become so thin!), “Itne duble patle ho, koi bimari to nahi hai?” (you are so thin, hope you are not ill) — many of us have heard these remarks from our mothers and grandmothers. 

 

Growing up in a poor country, being overweight was seen as a sign of prosperity. The rich were fat. The poor were thin. That was the way it was. 

The old equation is changing, and rapidly so. Recent reports (Business Standard, March 17, 2025) point out that India is facing an obesity epidemic. The number of obese adults in the country has risen from 5.76 million in 1991 to 46.78 million in 2021. This is set to reach 173.73 million by 2050. The number of overweight adults is also expected to rise to an astounding 449.95 million, close to a whopping 30 per cent of the entire population, by 2050. 

Most adults who are overweight or obese are inactive and have poor dietary habits. This newspaper’s editorial (March 18, 2025) spoke of the need for dietary diversity: “Our diets are largely skewed towards consumption of subsidised wheat, rice and sugar.” Our protein consumption, both vegetable and animal-sourced, continues to be suboptimal. Providing eggs with the noon meal scheme in schools was a welcome move in this regard. However, some states have abandoned it.

  When asked, an overweight or obese person is possibly going to say that they have an “overweight body type”; “it runs in the family”; “I have tried everything and nothing works”; or “I have no time to exercise”. The problem is often not acknowledged and is externalised by the consumer. In this regard, the recent media coverage around obesity is good in a way. It is bringing obesity to the centre of the health argument. Obesity is not something you can ignore or externalise. You need to take ownership. And you are lucky since help may be at hand.

  The recent barrage of “obesity is a disease that is curable” advertising reminded me of yet another “illness” that was identified and tackled by the global pharmaceutical industry. While reading an article in the Fortune magazine around 1997, my curiosity was piqued by a new term: ED. 

  This term is common knowledge today, but in the late 1990s, it wasn’t so. What ED, or erectile dysfunction, did was to reframe the illness that was then known as impotency. The term “impotent” had a permanence associated with it. It was something that happened to you, and you could do nothing about it. Then came the pharma industry that told the world: No, no, it is not impotence; you are suffering from ED. Go to your doctor; he has a medicine for it. 

  Viagra was launched in 1998, and went on to become a blockbuster brand for Pfizer. Today, there are many newer medications for ED, but Viagra, also called the “little blue pill”, continues to dominate popular culture.

  Likewise, the discovery that a new class of drugs used to treat Type 2 diabetes can actually reduce weight was a big breakthrough moment. In the US, this class of drugs, GLP-1 agonists, is promoted to offer triple benefits: Reduce HbA1c (diabetes), reduce risk of cardiovascular events, and weight loss. But like many other treatments for chronic diseases, this class of drugs takes time to deliver results. Weekly injections over a period of one year can help an obese patient lose up to 15 per cent of their body weight. And this is a big deal.

  The treatment is not cheap, but I am sure Indian companies are waiting to launch their own branded generic variants soon. I do hope this increased attention to overweight and obesity will also drive consumers to become more conscious about what they eat and their (inactive) lifestyle. There is worry that overweight or obese people will take the medication, but will end up overindulging. I only hope that the pharma companies ensure that doctors who dispense these expensive medications also insist on patients improving their dietary habits and exercise routines. If this happens, it will be a triple win: A win for the pharma industry; a win for doctors; and a win for those grappling with obesity.

  The writer is a bestselling author of 11 books and founder of  Brand-building.com, a brand advisory. He can be reached at ambimgp@brand-building.com