There are moments in health care when progress often arrives quietly but changes the direction of an entire conversation.
The recent approval in the UAE of a daily oral treatment for chronic weight management – based on the molecule orforglipron – making it the second country globally to register the medication, following approval by the US Food and Drug Administration in the US, may be one of those moments.
The registration by the Emirates Drug Establishment reflects the country’s continued commitment to aligning with the highest global regulatory standards while accelerating access to high-quality treatments that protect community health.
This represents an important development in how care can be delivered. As with similar therapies approved by the US FDA, its use is intended for individuals living with excess weight or obesity who also present with weight-related health conditions, such as high blood pressure or cardiovascular or kidney disease. It is not intended for general or cosmetic use, and eligibility is determined within a clinical setting by a physician.
An oral alternative shifts how treatment is delivered, aligning it more closely with everyday routines. In doing so, it signals a broader shift in how obesity is being approached, as a condition to treat and as part of a more integrated, patient-centred model of care.
Today, 22.4 per cent of adults in the country are living with obesity, according to the National Health Survey conducted by the Ministry of Health and Prevention last year. Among children aged six to 17, the figure stands at 16.1 per cent. These figures reflect both the present and what lies ahead.
At current rates of growth, a report by the World Obesity Federation projects that almost 7.5 million people in the UAE would be overweight or obese by 2035, with annual associated costs forecast at $12 billion a year. These figures point to a broader shift in how people live – shaped by modern routines, daily habits and the environments in which individuals work, move and eat.
The UAE has taken a proactive approach to this challenge. In recent years, the country has taken deliberate and increasingly decisive steps to reshape the health landscape – through awareness, but also through policy, regulation and system-wide intervention.
The Cabinet’s approval of the National Healthy Nutrition Strategy 2030 marks a defining moment in that direction. Among its initiatives, the recent ban on partially hydrogenated oils and tighter restrictions on junk food marketing stand out – deliberate measures that as signal a broader shift: from treatment to prevention, and from individual responsibility to environmental change.
These efforts build on an already structured national approach.
From the National Nutrition Strategy to the formation of a multi-entity obesity task force – bringing together federal and local health authorities – the UAE has moved to address obesity as a systemic issue, particularly among younger generations. The task force continues to steer efforts and find effective ways to address the obesity crisis – especially in children aged five to 17.
This is further reflected in more personalised interventions. In Abu Dhabi, tailored weight management programmes now offer individuals structured, 360-degree support – combining behavioural guidance with clinical care.
To address both obesity and malnutrition, the UAE has recently introduced a National Guide for Food and Beverages in the School Environment, banning junk food and sugary drinks in school canteens – a step that reflects a broader commitment to shaping healthier habits from an early age.
It is a model that recognises a simple truth: sustainable outcomes come through continuity across policy, systems and everyday life. Within this broader context, medicated weight loss is evolving.
Some medications demonstrated what was possible when science began targeting appetite regulation and metabolic processes more precisely. Their impact has been significant, while also highlighting important considerations around availability, appropriate use and access – areas that continue to evolve alongside growing demand.
What we are now witnessing is a shift from popularity to practicality. An oral treatment represents an additional option within a broader, structured approach to obesity management approach, rather than a breakthrough or solution. The conversation has shifted from whether these treatments work to how they fit within a broader, more structured approach to public health.
As with all medical treatments, eligibility is determined within a clinical setting, with physicians assessing suitability based on individual health needs. Yet with every advancement comes a necessary caution. The simplicity of a pill can create the illusion of a simple solution.
Obesity is shaped by a number of factors: lifestyle patterns, daily behaviours and the broader environments in which people live. Medication – whether injectable or oral – can support outcomes, but it cannot replace the foundations of long-term health: balanced nutrition, physical activity and sustained behavioural change.
This is where responsibility becomes shared. For healthcare providers, it is about ensuring appropriate use within a clinical framework. For individuals, it is about understanding that treatment is part of a journey, not a shortcut. And for systems, it is about maintaining balance – embracing innovation while continuing to prioritise prevention.
What sets the UAE apart is the speed at which it adopts innovation and the discipline with which it integrates it. The approval of new treatments marks a broader, co-ordinated effort – one that aligns policy, healthcare systems and emerging medical solutions.
The real story lies in what it represents: a shift towards more patient-centred care, a willingness to adopt new models early and a recognition that complex health challenges require equally sophisticated responses. Because beneath the science, beneath the policy, beneath even the numbers, there remains a simple truth: health cannot be prescribed, but it must be lived.
And perhaps the real story is how a country is learning – steadily, deliberately – how to carry the weight of this challenge, without pretending that it can be made to disappear. Because ultimately, the goal has never been weight loss alone; it has always been well-being.
