Presentation (CTI)

OBJECTIVES: Obesity is a chronic, progressive disease associated with substantial morbidity, mortality, and healthcare burden. Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) have emerged as effective treatments for obesity and are increasingly recommended in clinical practice. However, evidence on obesity trends and the real-world uptake of GLP-1 RAs remains limited. The objective is to describe the prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥30kg/m²) and incidence rate of obesity, and to evaluate GLP-1 RA prescribing patterns among adults with obesity in the UK.
METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using The Health Improvement Network (THIN) databases in the UK between 1 January 2020 and 31 December 2023. Data was extracted using the Dexter tool. Adults aged ≥18 years with at least one recorded BMI measurement were included. Descriptive analyses were performed to evaluate annual prevalence and incidence rate of obesity and GLP-1 RA utilisation.
RESULTS: The study included 1,455,886 adults in the UK during the study period. The obesity prevalence increased slightly from 31.6% in 2020 to 33.6% in 2023, while the incidence rate increased from 9.0 to 14.8 per 1,000 person-years over the same period. Among adults with obesity, GLP-1 RA prescribing increased steadily from 2.3% in 2020 to 2.4% in 2023.
CONCLUSIONS: This real-world study describes obesity epidemiology in the UK, highlighting a modest but steady increase in both prevalence and incidence over the study period. The uptake of GLP-1 RAs among adults with obesity also increased modestly. These findings provide real-world evidence to support healthcare planning and obesity management strategies.