Is Obesity a Disease?: The Paradigm of Diets Changed by Wegovy
Obesity, once dismissed as a “lack of willpower”, is now recognized as a disease that requires medical treatment. The diet industry, once centered on diet and exercise, is entering an era of medical prescriptions with the introduction of Wegovy. In the new age of medicated weight loss, how should we redefine the concept of health?…….Ed
Obesity is one of the most common health problems worldwide, yet social stigma prevails, where obesity is viewed not as a disease but rather as a result of laziness and lack of discipline. According to the “Survey on National Weight Management and Obesity Awareness in the COVID-19 Pandemic” published by the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity in 2021, 76% of respondents believed that obesity could be resolved through proper diet and exercise. Furthermore, in another survey conducted by the same organization in 2023, 73% responded that “strong personal willpower” is the most important factor in weight loss. This reflects a perception of obesity as a mild condition that can be easily managed through self-discipline.
This could not be further from the truth. From a medical standpoint, obesity is not induced by a lack of effort but by hormonal disproportion and a complex interplay of various health conditions. The World Health Organization already classifies obesity as a chronic complex disease. People with obesity develop resistance to the hormone leptin, which makes it difficult to control their appetite even when enough fat is stored in the body. This indicates that their hormonal system is completely disrupted to a degree that cannot be overcome by determination alone.
Nevertheless, such negative perceptions persist, leading people to depend on immediate solutions such as diet supplements rather than seeking professional medical help. In the midst of this societal limitation, one medication has gained global attention: Wegovy.
Wegovy is a drug that has fundamentally disrupted the existing diet industry. In the past, the weight-loss market mainly relied on willpower-based or lifestyle-correction approaches such as appetite suppressants, dieting programs, fitness routines, and cosmetic procedures. However, most of these methods produced only short-term effects and often resulted in the “yo-yo effect” after weight loss. In other words, the industry focused more on outcomes than on underlying causes.
In contrast, Wegovy stands out for driving a paradigm shift that views obesity not as a mere lifestyle issue but as a medical disease to be managed through pharmacological treatment. Semaglutide, its main component, was originally used in the treatment of type 2 diabetes. It works by stimulating the body’s GLP-1 receptors, which suppress appetite and prolong the feeling of fullness. As a result, food intake naturally decreases, energy efficiency improves, and users experience an average weight reduction of about 15%. Furthermore, clinical studies have shown that semaglutide can also improve metabolic conditions associated with obesity, such as hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes.
Thanks to these effects, Wegovy has gained tremendous attention in the global pharmaceutical market as a medically validated treatment for obesity rather than a mere dietary supplement. Since its launch in 2021, it has rapidly spread across the United States and Europe. Its manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, has risen as a dominant force in the global pharmaceutical industry, prompting competitors such as Eli Lilly and Pfizer to join the race to develop GLP-1–based drugs. Consequently, obesity treatment has emerged as one of the next-generation growth engines in the biopharmaceutical field.
However, Wegovy’s explosive popularity has also exposed several limitations, the most notable which are being its side effects. Semaglutide delays gastric emptying to sustain satiety, but this mechanism can cause gastrointestinal issues such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, and abdominal pain. In addition, concerns remain about potential risks of gallbladder disorders and pancreatitis with long-term use.
Economic burden is another major concern. In South Korea, the average monthly cost of Wegovy exceeds ₩1 million (approximately $700), and because it is not yet covered by national health insurance, accessibility remains low. Maintaining weight loss requires continuous administration, which translates into a significant long-term financial strain for patients.
Moreover, Wegovy’s emergence has triggered new ethical and social debates within the weight loss industry. Some critics worry that reliance on such medication for quick weight reduction could reinforce appearance-centered societal norms. Others, however, argue that Wegovy represents a positive turning point, shifting perceptions of obesity from a failure of willpower to a treatable medical condition, thereby helping to reduce social stigma surrounding obesity.
Such rapid spread of Wegovy has drawn criticism for promoting an ideal of losing weight through medication. Society now holds a complex perspective of acknowledging obesity as a disease, while simultaneously treating it as an object to be cured and consumed. Therefore, discussions about obesity treatment must expand into an ethical discourse on how society defines the term “healthy.”
For Wegovy’s innovation to establish itself as a long-term solution within society, ethical discussion and institutional improvements are crucial. Alongside discussions on ethical criteria and health insurance coverage, there must also be considerations on what it truly means to be “healthy,” before Wegovy can f inally be accepted as a sustainable means of managing obesity.
Park Si-eun (Web Editor)
sally4480@soongsil.ac.kr
Jung Ah-in (ST Cub-Reporter)
ahinjung@soongsil.ac.kr