Overweight and obesity is a growing global health challenge, affecting an estimated 2.5 billion people worldwide – a number expected to rise in the coming decades. It is linked to more than 250 related conditions, yet its impact varies widely between individuals and populations.
“Obesity is increasingly understood not as a single condition but as a complex disorder influenced by genetic, environmental, behavioural and social factors. This recognition has exposed the limitations of one-size-fits-all approaches and highlighted the urgent need for more precise, data-driven strategies for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, says Professor Paul Franks at Lund University, Chair of the Commission.
The Nature Medicine Commission aims to address one of the most pressing gaps in obesity management: the lack of robust, globally representative data to guide clinical decisions.
“For too long we have been reliant on the use of blunt measurement tools and often inappropriate samples to assess the extent of the implications of living with obesity and likely impact of interventions", says Nic Timpson, Commission Co-chair and Professor of Genetic Epidemiology, PI ALSPAC, Co-Director Population Research UK at University of Bristol. “Now as effective management approaches are available, and relevant data is more abundant than ever, we have a superb chance to gather data from an international community to really understand the most effective way to provide effective and equitable care.”
The Commission will function not only as an expert panel but also as a large-scale global data analysis consortium. The work will support the development of clinical decision-support tools that can help healthcare providers tailor prevention and treatment strategies.
Closing the global gap
A major focus will be addressing global inequities in data availability. Much of the burden of obesity-related disease lies outside high-income countries, yet the data needed to support evidence-based care in those settings are often limited.
“This imbalance will be addressed by incorporating data from diverse populations worldwide, improving representation across regions, genders, and backgrounds, and ensuring that resulting tools are applicable across a wide range of healthcare settings”, says Paul Franks.
In parallel with these ambitions, the Commission underscores critical unmet needs in current besity management.
“Obesity management has improved markedly in recent years with improved assessment tools, medications and surgical procedures; as well as improved education of healthcare professionals. Yet, obesity remains one of very few chronic diseases that do not have data-driven prediction models, treatment targets or predictors of response to available therapies. This Commission provides a unique opportunity to address these and other key questions in obesity management, especially those affecting people of diverse ethnic backgrounds and healthcare systems” says Dr. Sara Suliman, Commission Co-Chair and Consultant Diabetologist, Endocrinologist, and Obesity Physician, Clinical Lead for Obesity and Clinical Lead for Genetics Imperial College London Diabetes Centre, Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Long-term impact
The international initiative aims to transform obesity management by developing data-driven tools to support clinical decision-making worldwide. It will be publicly launched on 12 May 2026 at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, marking the start of a major global effort to improve how obesity is managed. The launch coincides with publication of the Commission announcement in Nature Medicine. The initiative is expected to run over several years, concluding in 2031.
“Success will mean creating tools and evidence that objectively improve how obesity is managed across different populations, settings, and scenarios. This is a long-term effort with the potential for transformative global impact” says Paul Franks.
