Turning obesity into an iatrogenic disease?

This editorial argues that although GLP-1 receptor agonists have profoundly transformed obesity management, their often short-term, intermittent, or insufficiently supervised use may lead to significant loss of lean mass, weight regain after treatment discontinuation, and ultimately sarcopenia and sarcopenic obesity. It emphasizes that the weight loss achieved is not always qualitatively beneficial, since a substantial proportion may involve lean mass, while post-treatment weight regain is often predominantly fat mass. The author therefore calls for a more carefully supervised and longer-term use of these treatments, with particular attention to body composition, protein intake, muscle-strengthening physical activity, and nutritional follow-up. The central message is that GLP-1 receptor agonists should not be regarded as a miracle solution, otherwise obesity may be turned into a form of iatrogenic harm marked by weight cycling and sarcopenic obesity.