Accessibility Statement
A white male who suffers from obesity smiles while looking into the sun.

Obesity

People with obesity are living with a disease—not a choice—and it comes with physical, mental and emotional hurdles. It's time to address misperceptions, eliminate stigma, and imagine a better future for people around the world navigating this disease.

Navigating Obesity: Liz's Story

Liz's experience is personal, but it isn't unique. People living with the disease have many of the same challenges. Now, it's time to better understand what it's like.

Understanding the Disease


There is no one cause of obesity.1 In turn, there isn't just one approach to treat it. People with obesity deserve comprehensive care. The first step? Acknowledging and understanding the disease.

There are multiple causes of obesity including biological, genetic, behavioral, environmental, social and cultural factors.2,3 Just like many chronic diseases, obesity has a significant impact on the person living with it and on the people around them. And just like other long-term diseases, the approach to managing care needs to be well-rounded.

Because of misinformation and stigma, obesity is not always appropriately diagnosed or treated.4 And treatments that are available are oftentimes not reimbursed. To imagine a future beyond obesity, we need to better understand and accept it as a chronic disease.

Living with obesity can come with physical limitations, can impact mental health and is associated with more than 200 additional health complications.1 People who struggle with obesity can feel stuck after unsuccessful attempts to lose weight—due to factors completely out of their control—or can be caught in a cycle of weight loss and regain. They can even experience lower quality of life, less productivity at work, and more medical costs.5,6

We know that lifestyle choices alone often are not successful over the long term.7 But now it's possible to empower people with tools like intensive behavioral therapy, anti-obesity medications and surgery that allow them to take control of their disease.

Michele's Journey: Advocating for Her Health

Lilly's Commitment to Obesity


Obesity and Moderate-to-Severe Obstructive Sleep Apnea

People living with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity can face serious complications if their disorder is overlooked or left untreated. While OSA is frequently associated with loud snoring, its impact can extend beyond this symptom, leading to other symptoms such as excessive daytime sleepiness, observed episodes of stopped breathing during sleep, waking during the night and gasping or choking.8,9 Notably, obesity and OSA are closely linked—in the United States, approximately 69% of people with obesity have OSA, and about 32% have moderate-to-severe OSA.10 If left untreated, both conditions can contribute to a range of other serious health problems.8

Learning from the People Who Live It


Living with OSA: Edgar's Story

Like Edgar, many people are unaware of their breathing interruptions during sleep. Working to dispel misconceptions, it's time to learn more about obstructive sleep apnea.

Advancing Science, Addressing Misperceptions


We can imagine a healthier future for people living with obesity. We're closer than ever before.

As we make strides in this new era of obesity care, there's still a lot of work to be done. Just like other chronic diseases, the more options available to incorporate into a comprehensive treatment plan–including holistic cardiometabolic health—the more potential progress there is for people living with the disease. But those with obesity are also impacted by misperceptions and misinformation that can make care harder to receive.

We've been focused on investing in research to develop potential new medications. But scientific breakthroughs must come alongside a shift in how health care professionals, policymakers, employers, and society view and understand obesity.

In partnership with Cerner Enviza, we've been conducting a nationwide study focused on how misconceptions influence obesity treatment and anti-obesity medication use. We also join the obesity advocacy community—including medical, patient and health equity groups—to support the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act. The act is a step in the right direction to help modernize Medicare Part D to treat obesity as a chronic disease with evidence-based practices.

We’re prepared to do all we can to create a better future.

The Science Behind the Disease

Scientists have been hard at work for decades trying to find new ways to help supplement lifestyle changes with therapies that could help people living with obesity better achieve their health goals.


References

1. Obesity Medicine Association. Accessed November 17, 2022. https://obesitymedicine.org/what-is-obesity

2. CDC. Updated March 21, 2022. Accessed June 17, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/basics/causes.html

3. Mahmoud AM. An Overview of Epigenetics in Obesity: The Role of Lifestyle and Therapeutic Interventions. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2022; 23(3):1341. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms23031341​​

4. Obesity Action Coalition. Accessed June 22, 2023. https://www.obesityaction.org/wp-content/uploads/Understanding-Obesity-Stigma-Brochure20200313.pdf

5. Rozjabek H, Fastenau J, LaPrade A, Sternbach N. Adult Obesity and Health-Related Quality of Life, Patient Activation, Work Productivity, and Weight Loss Behaviors in the United States. Diabetes Metab Syndr Obes. 2020;13:2049-2055. Published 2020 Jun 17. doi:10.2147/DMSO.S245486​

6. Cawley J, Biener A, Meyerhoefer C, et al. Direct medical costs of obesity in the United States and the most populous states. J Manag Care Spec Pharm. 2021;27(3):354-366. doi:10.18553/jmcp.2021.20410​

7. Hall KD, Kahan S. Maintenance of Lost Weight and Long-Term Management of Obesity. Med Clin North Am. 2018;102(1):183-197. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.012​

8. McNicholas WT, Pevernagie D. Obstructive sleep apnea: transition from pathophysiology to an integrative disease model. J Sleep Res. 2022 Aug;31(4):e13616. Doi: 10.1111/jsr.13616. Epub 2022 May 24. PMID: 35609941; PMCID: PMC9539471.

9. Phillips, B. G., Kato, M., Narkiewicz, K., Choe, I., & Somers, V. K. (2000). Increases in leptin levels, sympathetic drive, and weight gain in obstructive sleep apnea. American journal of physiology. Heart and circulatory physiology, 279(1), H234–H237. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.2000.279.1.H234

10. Young, T., Shahar, E., Nieto, F. J., Redline, S., Newman, A. B., Gottlieb, D. J., Walsleben, J. A., Finn, L., Enright, P., Samet, J. M., & Sleep Heart Health Study Research Group (2002). Predictors of sleep-disordered breathing in community-dwelling adults: the Sleep Heart Health Study. Archives of internal medicine, 162(8), 893–900. https://doi.org/10.1001/archinte.162.8.893