The Evolving Perception and Utilization of Antiobesity Drugs: Expert Discussion

December 11, 2024

Donna Ryan, MD, highlights how the media has helped to reframe obesity as a chronic disease and how antiobesity drugs are transforming metabolic disease treatment.

Renowned obesity researcher and thought leader Donna Ryan, MD, recently sat down with Patient Care Online to recap progress made in 2024 in obesity research and treatment. In the video above, Dr Ryan discusses how media coverage of antiobesity medications has helped to shift perceptions of obesity, emphasizing it as a chronic disease rather than a personal failing. She also underscores how these groundbreaking therapies are beginning to transform the treatment landscape for metabolic diseases. Despite being relatively new—semaglutide was approved in 2021 and tirzepatide in 2023—their adoption is growing, with approximately 6% of US adults now using one of these drugs, according to Dr Ryan. She also expresses optimism about their potential to reduce the prevalence of obesity-related complications, such as chronic kidney disease, heart failure, and obstructive sleep apnea, while calling for further integration into clinical practice.

Donna Ryan, MD, is professor emerita at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA, and past president of The Obesity Society. She served as associate executive director at Pennington Biomedical for 34 years and her own research encompasses key roles in the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), POUNDS Lost, DPP (Diabetes Prevention Program) and Look AHEAD studies. Ryan's continuing research interests focus on translation of effective weight management into primary care practices.