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Global Health Economics and
Sustainability
Semaglutide for treating T2D and obesity

2016. In the United States, for example, obesity prevalence 14% of the total healthcare spending, highlighting its
has steadily increased, from 30.5% (1999 – 2000) to 41.9% substantial financial impact on healthcare system. In
(2017 – 2020) (Anam et al., 2022). It is also estimated addition, conditions such as sleep apnea and hip or
that over 650 million adults, or 13% of the global adult knee osteoarthritis have been shown to have a high-risk
population, are living with obesity, defined by a BMI of reduction with weight loss, contributing to substantial
30 kg/m or higher (Al-Sabah et al., 2023). cost savings. According to a recent report by the World
2
The annual economic burden of obesity in the United Obesity Federation (2020), 13.6% of health expenditure in
States amounted to $173 billion in 2019 (Anam et al., the Eastern Mediterranean region was linked to high BMI
2022). In line with these findings, international studies levels, while obesity contributed to a significant 4.4% loss
in Saudi Arabia’s GDP in 2016. Moreover, the private costs
have shown that the average annual cost of physician visits
for adults due to overweight and obesity is approximately of obesity-related complications have been found to exceed
$500 per capita. This cost is notably higher than the $40 public costs. In the private sector, the most expensive
per capita per year spent on children. In addition, the complications per patient per year were heart failure
($8,539), dyslipidemia ($7,032), and T2D ($6,206). In the
management of obesity has contributed to a significant rise public sector, heart failure ($7,173), chronic kidney disease
in hospital costs, with an estimated $2,439.14 added per
hospitalization (Ling et al., 2023). ($4,785), and dyslipidemia ($4,239) were the costliest
(Alqahtani et al., 2023).
Kuwait, considered a high-income country, ranks
among the most “obese” nations in the world. Adult obesity 4.4. Economic impact of weight loss
rates in Kuwait have risen sharply, from 19% in 1975 to 38% Many clinically recorded complications and several diseases
in 2016, reaching 44% in 2018. In 2019, the per capita health causally related to the obesity in Saudi Arabia present a high
expenditure was approximately $1,759 (5.5% of the gross relative cost, linked to BMI levels. It has been estimated
domestic product, GDP), with 68% of total public health that a 15% weight loss in 100,000 obese individuals in
expenditure ($1,186 per capita or 3.9 % of GDP) allocated Saudi Arabia, as compared to maintaining a stable weight,
to non-communicable diseases. Of this, overweight and could reduce the risk of associated complications by 0.8 –
obesity accounted for about $546 per capita (1.7% of 53.9%. A projected annual cost savings of approximately
GDP), contributing to an economic burden of $2.3 billion $274 million has been estimated based on the number of
in 2019, including both direct medical and non-medical new diagnoses prevented with a 15% weight reduction.
costs, as well as indirect costs from premature mortality In Saudi Arabia, where 6,203,526 individuals have a BMI
and absenteeism. In addition, obesity has been shown to between 30 and 50 kg/m , the long-term economic impact
2
have a negative impact on wages and employment. For is even more substantial, with 10-year savings estimated
every additional BMI unit, wages decrease by nearly 7%, at approximately $17 billion. The largest contributor to
and employment years reduce by 2%. This underscores the cost savings was T2D ($14.5 million, or 30% of the total),
urgent need for systemic changes in how obesity and its followed by the dyslipidemia ($12.5 million, or 26% of the
associated comorbidities are managed, given their high total). Hypertension was the third largest contributor to
prevalence and considerable economic burden (Al-Sabah cost savings ($9.1 million, or 19% of the total). In addition,
et al., 2023). due to the high estimated risk reduction with a 15% weight
loss, sleep apnea was the fourth largest driver of cost savings
4.3. Complications of obesity and induced costs
($4 million, or 8% of the total). These findings underscore
Obesity is strongly associated with numerous the substantial impact of obesity-related complications
comorbidities, including T2D, dyslipidemia, hypertension, on both public and private healthcare costs, as well as
sleep apnea, as well as respiratory and digestive disorders. the broader societal and public health implications.
In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated Consequently, the urgent need for effective body weight
that 3% of total deaths were attributable to diabetes, management is emphasized, given the direct impact of
while 37% were due to cardiovascular disease. Data obesity on individuals and healthcare systems, as well as
from Saudi Arabia highlight the substantial economic the indirect costs, such as significant productivity loss
burden of obesity-related complications, with healthcare and reduced quality of life. Furthermore, weight loss can
costs strongly correlated to BMI levels. Among the most effectively prevent weight gain, resulting in cost savings
prevalent and economically burdensome conditions are due to a reduction in related complications. Thus, ensuring
T2D and dyslipidemia, with heart failure also contributing universal access to body weight management treatments
significantly to healthcare expenditures. Over the past should be prioritized as a key health policy goal (Alqahtani
decade, diabetes alone has accounted for approximately et al., 2023).

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2025) 21 https://doi.org/10.36922/ghes.8547