Obesity: Enhanced support now reimbursed for some adults

An enhanced care and therapeutic education pathway, reimbursed by the national health insurance, is now available to adults with complex obesity, according to a decree published in the Official Journal on March 4, 2026, World Obesity Day. The nationwide rollout of this pathway, previously piloted in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region, was one of the measures outlined in the 2026-2030 roadmap for obesity management, announced in mid-January by the Minister of Health.

The implementation of this system, which combines medical support, dietary monitoring, psychological support and physical activity adapted to people with severe obesity or obesity associated with certain complications, marks " an important step forward in structuring more transparent and efficient care pathways", commented Stéphanie Rist on X. Each patient thus benefits from a personalized care and therapeutic education program, built according to their needs." she added.

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Other programs of this type are being prepared, focusing on children with obesity and people referred for bariatric surgery, according to the roadmap.

"We need support, care and treatment, not stigmatization."" ,

This condition has already been the subject of several waves of measures (recognition as a chronic disease, creation of specialized centers, multidisciplinary care, etc.). But this has not been enough to stem its progression in the population, nor to resolve various difficulties in care and access to treatment, the ministry acknowledged in mid-January.

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Obesity, a chronic disease with multiple causes, associated with numerous comorbidities and high mortality, affects approximately 8 million people in France, with significant socioeconomic and territorial inequalities. This most serious form of overweight is a risk factor for chronic diseases (diabetes, high blood pressure, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, etc.) and has major psychological and social consequences (low self-esteem, depression, isolation, etc.).

“ Obesity is a complex disease", which affects one in eight humans, and " People with obesity need support, care and treatment, not stigmatization.", the World Health Organization stressed on Wednesday on X.

But " the good news", the UN organization pointed out, is that higher quality care and treatment for obesity and related diseases are developing“.