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Colegio de Medicina Interna de México.

2025, Number 07

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Med Int Mex 2025; 41 (07)

Tirzepatide and the medicalization of obesity: A critical review from clinical, ethical, and sociocultural perspectives

Fajardo RA

Language: Spanish
References: 28
Page: 418-423
PDF size: 338.98 Kb.


ABSTRACT

Objective: To critically analyze clinical evidence, ethical implications, and sociocultural impacts of tirzepatide use in obesity treatment and type 2 diabetes prevention, with particular attention to the Mexican context.
Methodology: Narrative review of scientific literature, clinical trials, public health reports, sociological analyses, and ethical frameworks from 2020 to 2025.
Results: Tirzepatide outperforms other glucagon-like peptide type 1 (GLP-1) receptor analogues in weight reduction. Nevertheless, its adoption is partially influenced by aesthetic-driven medicalization, particularly via social media promotion. Significant access barriers exist in Mexico, reflecting systemic inequities in healthcare delivery.
Conclusions: Pharmacological obesity management must be critically contextualized within ethical, clinical, and sociocultural frameworks. Physicians must ensure that tirzepatide is used responsibly, ethically, and with an emphasis on patient-centered care.


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