Obesity specialists are scarce. Here’s how that’s starting to change

Treatment of obesity has never been more prominent, with the advent of medications like Ozempic and Mounjaro generating both excitement and concern. Overlooked, however, is a severe shortage of doctors who actually specialize in treating obesity.

Across the United States, fewer than 100 doctors have completed a fellowship in obesity medicine and are actively practicing, according to a STAT analysis. More than half of these specialists are located across just four states — New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, and California — with the majority of states not having a single one.

Given that almost 50% of the U.S. population is expected to have obesity by 2030, experts say this is the most severe patient-specialist mismatch in the country.