Hybrid obesity care combining glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs) with app-based lifestyle coaching delivered sustained weight loss and cardiometabolic improvements over 18 months in a real-world study in Singapore. Higher digital engagement further enhanced outcomes, supporting integrated hybrid models as a scalable approach to long-term obesity management.

With obesity and metabolic syndrome reaching alarming levels in Malaysia, clinicians are looking beyond conventional approaches to expand the bariatric toolbox. Among the emerging options, intragastric balloons (IGBs) are gaining momentum as a minimally invasive, endoscopic solution to support the initial step in weight loss alongside lifestyle change. At the recent “Intragastric Balloon” workshop hosted by the Department of Surgery, Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz (HCTM) UKM in Kuala Lumpur, leading experts in bariatric innovation shared their perspectives on advancing IGB therapy in clinical practice. 

Obesity has traditionally been viewed as a risk factor for other conditions and the concept of obesity as a standalone disease remains a subject of debate.1 In a landmark 2025 publication, the Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology Commission redefined obesity through a clinical lens—shifting away from bod

Since 1990, obesity rates have more than doubled, impacting 2.5 billion adults globally and increasing the risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, especially in high-income countries. Postmenopausal women also show increased susceptibility to T2D and CVD. Whether CVD or T2D modifies the relationship between adiposity and postmenopausal breast cancer risk is not well understood.

Excessive adiposity is associated with the development and progression of both HFpEF and T2DM. Comorbidity of T2DM in patients with HFpEF is common, resulting in a greater symptom burden and worse functional status. Semaglutide is a once-weekly GLP-1RA shown to significantly improve HF related symptoms, physical limitations and body weight in patients with obesity-related HFpEF without T2DM.

Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) analog that aids in weight loss by suppressing appetite, has recently gained approval from the United States (US) Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat obesity in children aged ≥12 years.1,2 The approval was based on the positive findings of a rec