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Saudi Lifestyle Medicine Clinic Shows Liraglutide Plus Lifestyle Changes Beat Lifestyle Alone for Obesity

RPEP-147602026AlTaib, Hanan N; AlAqeel, Reem; Arafat, Amr A; Kunnathodi, Faisal; AlShaikh, Abdulmajeed; AlOtaibi, Haifa F
evidence
The takeaway

A Saudi primary care study found that adding liraglutide to lifestyle modification produced better weight loss outcomes than lifestyle changes alone in adults with obesity.

Liraglutide + lifestyle > lifestyle alone

Real-world effectiveness in Saudi primary care obesity clinic

What the researchers found

Liraglutide combined with lifestyle modification was more effective than lifestyle modification alone for weight loss in Saudi adults with obesity and comorbidities.

Why it matters

Real-world evidence from structured obesity care programs in non-Western settings is limited. This study demonstrates GLP-1 RA effectiveness in Saudi primary care.

How the study worked

Retrospective cohort study at a primary care center in Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh (2023-2024); adults with BMI 30-40 and ≥1 obesity-related comorbidity.

What this study cannot tell us

Retrospective design; single center at a military medical facility; selection bias possible between treatment groups.

How to read the evidence

Retrospective cohort study — provides real-world effectiveness data but is subject to selection bias and unmeasured confounding.

When this study was published

Published 2026 in PLoS ONE. Data from 2023-2024.

The bigger picture

Lifestyle medicine clinics integrating pharmacotherapy represent an evolving model for comprehensive obesity care in primary care settings worldwide.

Questions still open

  • Would newer GLP-1 RAs (semaglutide, tirzepatide) show even greater benefit in this setting?
  • Can this LMC model be scaled across Saudi primary care?

Common questions

Is medication more effective than diet and exercise for obesity?
This study found that combining liraglutide (a GLP-1 medication) with lifestyle changes produced better results than lifestyle changes alone, supporting a combined approach for obesity treatment.
What is a Lifestyle Medicine Clinic?
LMCs provide structured, multidisciplinary obesity care in primary care settings, combining dietary counseling, exercise programs, behavioral support, and when appropriate, medications like GLP-1 agonists.

Read the original research

Clinical and metabolic profile of adults with obesity attending lifestyle medicine clinics.

PloS one, 21(2), e0342153

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

AlTaib, Hanan N; AlAqeel, Reem; Arafat, Amr A; Kunnathodi, Faisal; AlShaikh, Abdulmajeed; AlOtaibi, Haifa F. (2026). Clinical and metabolic profile of adults with obesity attending lifestyle medicine clinics.. PloS one, 21(2), e0342153. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0342153