Free Obesity Medication in Greece: Strict Nutritional Supervision Required

A new era is dawning in the treatment of obesity and its associated conditions through Greece’s national prevention program ‘PROLAMVANO.’ For the first time in the country, free medication for obesity will be provided under a comprehensive medical and nutritional monitoring framework. However, the pharmaceutical support program for individuals suffering from obesity and related conditions like cardiovascular diseases and sleep apnea will operate under strict conditions guided by the National Committee of Public Health Experts. If a patient stops being monitored by a nutritionist, the supply of medications will automatically cease. This decision underscores that pharmacological treatment is effective only within an integrated therapeutic framework including medical supervision, lifestyle changes, and scientific dietary guidance. Obesity is considered a chronic multifactorial disease, and without behavioral changes, medication alone is insufficient. The program includes free blood tests, cardiovascular risk assessment, BMI evaluation, and full medical history review. Eligibility criteria include citizens with a BMI ≥ 40 or BMI ≥ 35 with co-existing conditions such as sleep apnea or cardiovascular diseases. The initiative aims to integrate medical and nutritional support, emphasizing a holistic approach to treating obesity. The specific medications have not been officially announced yet but are expected to be next-generation drugs affecting appetite and metabolism, currently available privately at high costs. The program targets severe pathological obesity cases with serious medical backgrounds, selected based on strict clinical and laboratory criteria. With alarming statistics showing that one in two adults in Greece is overweight or obese, and 17% classified as obese, this initiative aims to control the rising health costs associated with obesity-related chronic diseases.