This white paper analyzes the rapidly escalating obesity epidemic across Southeast Asia, projecting that up to 40% of the region’s population could be overweight or obese by 2035. It examines key drivers including sedentary lifestyles, dietary shifts, cultural norms, and limited access to affordable healthy food. The paper quantifies the economic burden, showing indirect productivity losses far outweigh direct healthcare costs. It reviews current treatment approaches, highlighting the promise and affordability challenges of pharmacological therapies such as GLP-1 agonists. The paper calls for coordinated government policy, education, and industry action to address obesity as a chronic disease and prevent long-term system strain.

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