Italy Officially Recognises Obesity as a Chronic Disease under New Law
Key Takeaways:
- Italy becomes the first country to officially recognise obesity as a chronic, progressive, and relapsing disease under national law.
- The new legislation ensures access to prevention, early diagnosis, and treatment through the National Health Service, supported by dedicated funding and professional training.
- The law marks a cultural and clinical milestone, combating stigma and embedding obesity care into multidisciplinary health and social policies.
A landmark in public health policy
Italy has taken a historic step forward in the recognition and treatment of obesity. Following final approval in the Senate, a new law formally recognises obesity as a chronic, progressive, and relapsing disease, fully incorporated within the National Health Service (Servizio Sanitario Nazionale, SSN). This recognition places obesity among the conditions requiring prevention, early diagnosis, and integrated care, marking a fundamental shift in how the nation addresses one of its most pervasive health challenges.
Until now, obesity—despite its well-documented health, social, and economic burden—was often perceived as an “individual problem” tied to lifestyle choices and personal responsibility. This new law redefines that narrative. It positions obesity as a medical condition requiring structured clinical and social support, thereby recognising the biological, psychological, and environmental factors that contribute to it.
Leadership and legislative consensus
The legislation was spearheaded by Hon. Roberto Pella, President of the Interparliamentary Group on Obesity, Diabetes and Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), who has long advocated for stronger prevention policies, enhanced patient rights, and healthier urban environments.
The final version of the bill approved by the Senate mirrors that previously passed by the Chamber of Deputies, reflecting broad cross-party agreement on the urgent need to address obesity as a national health priority.
Key provisions of the law
The new law introduces a comprehensive framework of measures that address obesity through prevention, treatment, research, and social inclusion.
- Access to Essential Levels of Care (LEA): People living with obesity will now have guaranteed access to diagnostic and therapeutic services under the National Health Service, ensuring equitable treatment and continuity of care.
- National Programme for Prevention and Care: Dedicated funding will progressively increase from €700,000 in 2025, to €800,000 in 2026, and €1.2 million annually from 2027 onwards. These resources will support prevention campaigns, public awareness efforts, anti-stigma initiatives, and projects promoting social inclusion.
- Health Promotion: The law prioritises preventive health measures, including nutrition education in schools, support for breastfeeding, and programmes encouraging regular physical activity across all age groups.
- Social Inclusion: New provisions promote the full participation of people living with obesity in society—whether in the workplace, education, or recreation—by addressing structural barriers and discrimination.
- Training for Health Professionals: From 2025, €400,000 annually will be invested in training doctors, paediatricians, psychologists, and other healthcare professionals to improve clinical understanding of obesity and strengthen multidisciplinary care.
- National Observatory for the Study of Obesity (OSO): A new Observatory will be established within the Ministry of Health to oversee the implementation of the law. It will monitor outcomes, coordinate research, and present an annual report to Parliament, ensuring transparency and accountability.
- Awareness Campaigns: A permanent fund of €100,000 per year will support public initiatives promoting balanced nutrition and physical activity. Schools, pharmacies, physicians, and local authorities will play key roles in these campaigns.
Cultural and clinical significance
The adoption of this law represents a dual victory—both cultural and medical. Culturally, it challenges the long-standing stereotypes and stigma that have surrounded obesity, reframing it as a health condition rather than a personal failing. It acknowledges the dignity and rights of people living with obesity and underscores the need for inclusion and respect in both healthcare and everyday life.
Clinically, the law ensures equal access to prevention and treatment and formally integrates obesity into structured healthcare pathways. This institutional recognition paves the way for better coordination between medical professionals, community services, and social care systems.
A multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach
The reform promotes a multidisciplinary model of care, encompassing prevention, education, inclusion, and research. It also aligns obesity management with broader public health objectives, connecting healthcare policy with urban planning, education, and sport.
By mandating ongoing monitoring through the National Observatory and annual parliamentary reporting, the law ensures a strong framework for governance and sustained progress.
Towards broader change
As Hon. Roberto Pella’s leadership demonstrates, this legislation is not merely a symbolic step—it establishes a concrete foundation for long-term change. The next phase will involve implementing its provisions effectively, strengthening local prevention programmes, supporting patient associations, and fostering partnerships between healthcare providers, schools, and community organisations.
Obesity is not only a disease but also a reflection of how societies live, eat, and structure their environments. Italy’s new law acknowledges this complexity. It is a decisive move toward compassion, inclusion, and evidence-based care, ensuring that people living with obesity receive the attention, respect, and medical support they deserve.
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Precision Medicine Poised to Redefine Obesity Prevention and Treatment
Key Takeaways:
- Researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center highlight how precision medicine could revolutionise the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of obesity by tailoring interventions to an individual’s biology and environment.
- Significant barriers remain, including limited large-scale clinical trials, underrepresentation of diverse populations, and challenges in integrating personalised tools into clinical practice.
- Experts call for robust biomarkers, inclusive research, and policy support to make precision obesity care accessible and evidence-based.
A blueprint for personalised obesity care
A new report led by researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center underscores the rapidly growing potential of precision medicine to transform how obesity is prevented, diagnosed, and treated. Published in Obesity in September, the paper titled “Precision Prevention, Diagnostics and Treatment of Obesity” brings together insights from the recent Pennington–Louisiana Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) scientific workshop.
The workshop, held in April 2024, convened experts to review evidence on tailoring obesity interventions to a person’s unique biological, behavioural, environmental, and social characteristics. The resulting report presents both the opportunities and obstacles in implementing precision-based strategies in obesity care.
Understanding the multifactorial nature of obesity
The authors emphasise that obesity is not a one-size-fits-all condition. Instead, it is shaped by a complex interplay of factors including genetics, epigenetics, metabolic phenotypes, microbiome composition, and environmental exposures. These elements influence why individuals gain or lose weight differently and why some respond better to certain interventions than others.
The review highlights how understanding these factors could enable clinicians to identify subgroups of people with obesity who would benefit from specific preventive or therapeutic strategies. This approach marks a shift from broad public health recommendations towards tailored, data-driven care.
Diagnostic innovation: Towards greater precision
The report calls for improved diagnostic tools—including the development of reliable biomarkers, imaging technologies, and phenotypic classifications—to better characterise the different subtypes of obesity and related risk profiles.
By accurately identifying an individual’s obesity phenotype, clinicians may be able to predict treatment response more effectively and target interventions that align with a person’s unique biology and lifestyle. Such advances could help move beyond the current trial-and-error approach in weight management.
Treatment personalisation and the path ahead
Emerging research indicates that personalising diet, physical activity, pharmacotherapy, and behavioural interventions according to an individual’s biological and psychosocial characteristics may improve both efficacy and long-term sustainability of outcomes.
However, the authors caution that while enthusiasm for precision-based treatment is growing, more robust clinical evidence is essential before these approaches can be fully integrated into standard care.
“Despite tremendous interest in precision-based treatment, the field is still relatively young,” said Dr Corby Martin, Co-Chair of the symposium and Director of the NORC Human Phenotyping Core. “We need rigorous clinical trials to empirically determine if precision treatment is indeed better than current practices. Unfortunately, few such trials exist, and those that do are not always supportive.”
Persistent gaps and barriers
The report identifies several key challenges hindering progress in precision obesity medicine:
- Limited large-scale clinical trials validating precision approaches.
- Insufficient diversity in study populations, leading to reduced generalisability of findings.
- Inadequate cost-effectiveness data, making implementation difficult within healthcare systems.
- Integration challenges when introducing precision tools into routine clinical settings.
Addressing these barriers will be essential for translating the promise of precision medicine into meaningful clinical and public health outcomes.
Recommendations for future research and policy
To advance the field, the authors recommend:
- Conducting diverse and inclusive research to ensure results are representative across ethnicities, genders, and socioeconomic groups.
- Developing and validating robust biomarkers and imaging tools for more accurate diagnosis and monitoring.
- Running comparative effectiveness trials to determine whether precision interventions outperform current standard treatments.
- Implementing programmes and policies that make precision obesity care both accessible and affordable.
The report suggests that precision-based approaches could enhance obesity prevention by identifying people at risk earlier and tailoring lifestyle or environmental interventions to reduce progression. Moreover, by customising treatment to a person’s biological and behavioural profile, clinicians could minimise side effects, avoid ineffective treatments, and improve outcomes.
A continuing commitment to obesity research
For more than 25 years, the Pennington–Louisiana Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) has convened over 100 scientists annually to explore emerging topics in obesity and nutrition science.
“Supporting 1.5-day workshops such as the ‘Precision Prevention, Diagnostics, and Treatment of Obesity’ brings top scientists and clinicians from around the world to Pennington Biomedical,” said Dr Leanne Redman, NORC Director, LPFA Endowed Chair in Nutrition, and Associate Executive Director for Scientific Education. “These reports provide a blueprint for the current state of the science and avenues for future research.”
Building a collaborative future
Dr John Kirwan, Executive Director of Pennington Biomedical, commended the team’s contribution:
“This team’s efforts in advancing precision medicine to diagnose, prevent, and treat obesity are truly commendable. At Pennington Biomedical, our work is built on strong partnerships across Louisiana and throughout the United States, strengthened through centres and institutes like the Pennington–Louisiana NORC. We are proud to collaborate with leading research institutions, universities, and healthcare systems nationwide to advance obesity research.”
As the science of precision medicine matures, the report provides a clear framework for how personalised approaches may one day redefine obesity prevention and treatment, improving outcomes for individuals and populations alike.
CCH insight:
Precision approaches to obesity prevention and treatments could massively improve outcomes for people with, or at risk of, obesity. The complex nature of the condition, with its broad range of biological, behavioural, psychological, social and environmental determinants and risk factors, means every patient is unique and requires a personalised intervention. However, this complexity of obesity also makes it difficult to characterise an individual’s obesity phenotype and predict responses to interventions – so there is still a long way to go, a lot more research is needed.
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