The French Ministry of Health has published the Roadmap for the Care of People Living with Obesity 2026-2030, confirming that obesity remains a major public health priority in France.
This roadmap builds on earlier national plans, while acknowledging that current responses remain too fragmented, sometimes delayed, and unequally accessible depending on geographical areas. Obesity continues to increase, particularly in its most severe forms, and remains closely linked to social, economic, and territorial inequalities.
This document applies specifically to the organisation of obesity care in France and is shared here for informational purposes only.
Obesity Care in France: A Structured and Tiered Care Pathway Approach
One of the roadmap’s major contributions is its shift toward a structured, coordinated, and tiered model of care.
The strategy confirms an organisation of obesity management across three levels of care, in line with the recommendations of the HAS (Haute Autorité de Santé – French National Authority for Health).
This new framework is based on:
- Earlier identification and referral of individuals living with obesity;
- Stronger coordination between primary care and hospitals;
- Regional structuring of obesity care networks;
- And the central role of the Specialised Obesity Centres (CSO – Centres Spécialisés de l’Obésité), whose number reached 42 in 2025.
This evolution reflects a key shift: obesity is now approached as a chronic disease requiring long-term follow-up, rather than being limited to isolated therapeutic interventions.
Pharmacological Treatments for Obesity: How Are GLP-1 Therapies Addressed?
The roadmap explicitly acknowledges that the benefits of new pharmacological strategies are well established.
However, it also stresses the need for particular vigilance, especially regarding nutritional risks, potential misuse, and the importance of integrating these treatments into dedicated care pathways.
In France, these medicines are referred to as: TMO (Traitements Médicamenteux de l’Obésité – pharmacological treatments for obesity)
The roadmap highlights that their appropriate use requires:
- Specific care pathways;
- Clear positioning within the overall obesity management strategy;
- Improved training for healthcare professionals involved in prescribing and monitoring.
These efforts are supported by the GCC-CSO (Groupe de Concertation et de Coordination des Centres Spécialisés de l’Obésité), a national coordination group overseeing clinical guidance on TMO use in adults.
Why the Roadmap Emphasises Data Gaps in Obesity Care
The Ministry also highlights a major lack of structured data allowing better characterisation of obesity severity, complexity, and patient trajectories.
The absence of systematic tracking within the SNDS (Système National des Données de Santé – French National Health Data System) currently limits a detailed understanding of care pathways.
The roadmap therefore plans to improve:
- Hospital coding systems (PMSI – Programme de Médicalisation des Systèmes d’Information);
- Epidemiological indicators;
- And data collection, including on complex forms of obesity such as binge eating disorder (hyperphagie boulimique).
Key Takeaway: Obesity Becomes a Long-Term, Multi-Actor Care Pathway
With this 2026-2030 roadmap, obesity in France is now framed as an issue requiring coordinated, tiered, and multidisciplinary care pathways involving multiple healthcare actors across the continuum of care.
The strategy reinforces the role of multidisciplinary teams, including dietitians, psychologists, and professionals delivering adapted physical activity.
This structural transformation is expected to shape priorities for the French healthcare ecosystem over the coming years.
FAQ – Understanding France’s Obesity Roadmap 2026-2030
What is the Obesity Roadmap 2026-2030?
It is the national framework published by the French Ministry of Health to organise obesity care pathways in France through 2030.
What are the main objectives of the roadmap?
Four objectives are set: slowing the progression of obesity, increasing access to personalised long-term care, strengthening professional training, and capitalising on innovative care pathways across all levels of care.
What role do CSOs play?
CSOs (Specialised Obesity Centres) are central pillars of the French obesity care system. Their number reached 42 in 2025 across all regions.
How are GLP-1 treatments positioned?
The roadmap recognises their effectiveness while stressing the need for appropriate use, monitoring, and integration into dedicated care pathways.
Why does the roadmap focus on data improvement?
The Ministry underlines insufficient structured data on obesity severity and trajectories, and plans to reinforce coding systems and indicators within the SNDS.
