The obesity medication industry will reach $200 billion

The growing weight loss and obesity drug industry could reach $200 billion in the next decade, according to Emily Field, Head of European Equity Research of Pharmaceutical Companies at Barclays. She stated in a CNBC report that the bank’s previous estimate could have been overly conservative. Field compared the focus on obesity today, to the oncology field ten years ago. She believes that if the trend of rising obesity levels continues, the market could reach $100 billion in the next decade, and even double that amount if this trend is sustained.

Global obesity statistics have almost tripled in the last decade according to the World Health Organization. At present, there are one billion people worldwide with clinical obesity, including 650 million adults, 340 million teenagers and 39 million children.