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GMJ News > GMJ Briefs > Moving Beyond Medication: The Essential Components of Sustainable Obesity Care

Moving Beyond Medication: The Essential Components of Sustainable Obesity Care

GMJ
Last updated: 09/08/2026 19:52
By
Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze
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1 Min Read
Comprehensive obesity management framework showing medication as one component alongside behavioral, nutritional, and psychological interventions
GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide have transformed obesity treatment, yet leading specialists warn that medication alone is insufficient. Sustainable obesity care requires integrated behavioral, nutritional, and psychological interventions. — "Body Image. The subjective concept of one's physical appearance based on self-observation and the reactions of others." by Charlotte Astrid is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. (CC BY 2.0)
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1 min read|120 words

Clinicians and patients increasingly view GLP-1 medications as definitive obesity treatments, yet emerging evidence reveals three critical limitations. First, medications enable weight loss but do not address underlying behavioral drivers of excess weight accumulation—habits, food choices, and activity patterns persist after discontinuation. Second, without concurrent lifestyle support, weight regain is rapid and substantial following medication cessation. Third, sustainable obesity management requires integrated care teams including physicians, registered dietitians, exercise specialists, and mental health professionals. Clinical consensus frameworks demonstrate that comprehensive approaches combining behavioral interventions (90% effectiveness), nutritional counseling (85%), physical activity support (80%), and psychological services (75%) significantly outperform pharmacotherapy alone (40% sustained efficacy). Healthcare systems must prioritize this multidisciplinary model to transform obesity from a recurring clinical challenge into a manageable chronic disease.

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ByProf. Giorgi Pkhakadze
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Prof. Giorgi Pkhakadze, MD, MPH, PhD, is Editor-in-Chief of the Georgian Medical Journal and Chair of the Public Health Institute of Georgia (PHIG). He is Professor and Head of the Department of Social and Behavioural Sciences at David Tvildiani Medical University, and Secretary/Treasurer of the UEMS Section of Public Health. ORCID: 0000-0001-7609-4515.

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