Obesity Groups Issue New Pharmacologic Treatment Guidance

The Obesity Society, Obesity Medicine Association, and Obesity Action Coalition provide recommendations on medications for obesity management.

Published on Mar. 5, 2026

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Three leading obesity organizations have published new joint guidance on the use of medications for the treatment of obesity in adults. The guidance, based on the latest evidence, provides strong recommendations for certain drugs like bupropion-naltrexone, semaglutide, and tirzepatide, as well as conditional recommendations for others. The document also addresses the use of obesity medications during weight maintenance and for certain genetic obesity syndromes.

Why it matters

This comprehensive guidance aims to help healthcare providers and policymakers make informed decisions about pharmacologic obesity management. It incorporates patient input, recognizing that factors beyond just weight loss, such as improved quality of life and ability to perform daily activities, are important to patients. The guidance seeks to promote obesity as a chronic medical condition, not a personal failure, and highlight the safety and efficacy of available medications.

The details

The new guidance was published in the journal Obesity and was developed by The Obesity Society (TOS), Obesity Medicine Association (OMA), and the Obesity Action Coalition (OAC). It addresses 15 clinical questions, providing strong recommendations for the use of bupropion-naltrexone, semaglutide, and tirzepatide in adults with overweight or obesity and at least one complication. Conditional recommendations are given for orlistat, phentermine, phentermine-topiramate, and liraglutide. The guidance also strongly recommends continuing obesity medications during the weight maintenance phase and using setmelanotide in adults with certain genetic obesity syndromes. Additionally, conditional suggestions are made for the use of GLP-1 drugs in adults with overweight or obesity and conditions like obstructive sleep apnea, heart failure, and type 2 diabetes.

  • The new guidance was published on March 5, 2026.
  • In January 2026, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) published its own set of guidelines on pharmacologic obesity management.

The players

The Obesity Society (TOS)

One of the three organizations that developed the new obesity pharmacologic treatment guidance.

Obesity Medicine Association (OMA)

One of the three organizations that developed the new obesity pharmacologic treatment guidance.

Obesity Action Coalition (OAC)

One of the three organizations that developed the new obesity pharmacologic treatment guidance, and a patient advocacy group.

Jonathan Q. Purnell, MD

Co-author of the guidance and vice president of The Obesity Society, as well as a professor of medicine and director of the Center for Preventive Cardiology at Oregon Health & Science University.

W. Timothy Garvey, MD

The Charles E. Butterworth, Jr professor and university professor at The University of Alabama at Birmingham, who commented on the guidance.

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What they’re saying

“Our hope is that it [this guidance] will be used to help with informed decision-making discussions with patients that will achieve three key messages: that this is a chronic medical condition, not a failure of willpower, that the obesity medications are safe and effective, and that improvement of health is part of the goal, along with improvement in quality of life.”

— Jonathan Q. Purnell, MD, Co-author and TOS vice president (Medscape Medical News)

“Patient input and commentary is always a good thing, and this is positive. An evidence-based guideline considers the strength of evidence from scientific investigations to make recommendations for patient care. Patient input should not influence recommendations but is valuable in how the recommendations are executed.”

— W. Timothy Garvey, MD, The Charles E. Butterworth, Jr professor and university professor at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (Medscape Medical News)

What’s next

The judge in the case will decide on Tuesday whether or not to allow Walker Reed Quinn out on bail.

The takeaway

This new comprehensive guidance on pharmacologic obesity management aims to promote obesity as a chronic medical condition, highlight the safety and efficacy of available medications, and incorporate patient input to ensure that factors beyond just weight loss, such as improved quality of life and daily functioning, are considered in treatment decisions.