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TOPLINE: 

Obesity medications improved patients’ self-reported physical function and offered a “modest” impact on an objective measure, a meta-analysis suggested.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of obesity management medications on physical function.
• They searched PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL databases through August 2025 for randomized, controlled trials with outcomes from validated self-report or objective measures.

TAKEAWAY: 

• Thirty studies with 25,088 predominantly female and non-Hispanic White participants with mean ages from 34.7-59.3 years old were included. Some patients had additional comorbidities, such as prediabetes (1 study), type 2 diabetes (T2D) (4), obstructive sleep apnea (2), heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) (1), and HFpEF and T2D (1).
• Trial durations were 20-72 weeks and pharmacological interventions were semaglutide (10 studies), tirzepatide (8), liraglutide (7), naltrexone/bupropion (4), and phentermine/topiramate (1).
• Self-reported physical function improved with obesity management medications relative to control on both the Short Form-36 and Impact of Weight on Quality of Life-Lite (IWQOL-Lite) self-report measures, with mean differences of 1.76 and 5.58, respectively, P < .01 for both.
• Three studies reported objective physical function using the 6-Minute Walk Test, suggesting modest gains relative to control.

IN PRACTICE:

"Self-reported physical function modestly improved following [obesity management medication] treatment," the authors wrote. "Concerns that newer [obesity management medications] could negatively affect physical function may not be warranted." 

SOURCE:

Alexandra Peary, a PhD student at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, presented the findings at the American Diabetes Association (ADA) 2026 Scientific Sessions in New Orleans, Louisiana.

LIMITATIONS: 

This was an observational study, which cannot demonstrate cause and effect.

DISCLOSURES:

Peary has reported no conflicts of interest, as did all but one coauthor.

Marilynn Larkin, MA, is an award-winning medical writer and editor whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including Medscape Medical News and its sister publication MDedge, The Lancet (where she was a contributing editor), and Reuters Health.