Cristóbal Morales

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist drugs, used to control obesity and type 2 diabetes, are associated with changes in food purchasing in favour of healthier options. This result, published in the journal JAMA Network Open, was obtained by analysing nearly two million shopping receipts from more than 1,100 participants in Denmark. Those who started treatment with GLP-1 drugs began to make purchases with fewer calories, sugars, saturated fats and carbohydrates, along with a modest increase in protein content. A decrease in the purchase of ultra-processed foods was also observed.

An article published in Nature Medicine outlines the new framework for pharmacologically treating obesity and its complications established by the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO). The new guidelines establish semaglutide and tirzepatide as first-line treatment for this disease and most associated conditions. The team of authors, with Spanish participation, reviewed the scientific evidence on the effects of drugs on total weight loss and its complications and designed an algorithm to help medical personnel guide treatment, taking into account each patient's medical history and the action profiles of available medications.

An international team has analyzed data from 17 studies in 10 countries involving more than 9,000 participants and concluded that childhood obesity prevention programs focused on mothers and fathers do not appear to have an impact on young children. According to the authors, who published their findings in The Lancet, broader, coordinated, and well-resourced public health actions are needed.

Eating three servings of French fries per week is associated with a 20% increase in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, but eating similar amounts of potatoes cooked in other ways (boiled, baked, or mashed) does not substantially increase the risk, according to a study published in BMJ. The study, which analyzed the diets of more than 205,000 adults over decades, showed that replacing any form of potato with whole grains was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

Without urgent action and policy reforms, more than half of the world's adult population (3.8 billion) and a third of all children and adolescents (746 million) are expected to be overweight or obese by 2050. The figures are published today in The Lancet.