The SYNCHRONIZE-1 and SYNCHRONIZE-2 trials are 76-week, multinational, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase 3 studies evaluating once-weekly subcutaneous survodutide as an adjunct to reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity for chronic weight management. SYNCHRONIZE-1 is enrolling adults with obesity or overweight plus weight-related comorbidities but without type 2 diabetes. SYNCHRONIZE-2 is enrolling adults with obesity or overweight and type 2 diabetes. Participants are randomized to survodutide 3.6 mg, survodutide 6.0 mg, or placebo. The primary endpoints are percent change in body weight and the proportion of participants achieving at least 5% body weight reduction at week 76, with key secondary endpoints including greater weight-loss thresholds, waist circumference, systolic blood pressure, eating behavior measures, and HbA1c in the type 2 diabetes trial.

The trials are designed to clarify the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of survodutide, a dual glucagon/GLP-1 receptor agonist that may affect body weight through reduced energy intake, potential effects on energy expenditure, and liver-related metabolic effects. SYNCHRONIZE-1 includes an MRI substudy assessing body composition and liver fat. Both studies use a slower, flexible dose-escalation strategy intended to reduce gastrointestinal adverse events that commonly limit GLP-1-based therapies. The authors note that the studies will provide important data on survodutide’s role in obesity treatment, including in patients with type 2 diabetes, but they also acknowledge limitations: the trials mainly assess weight-related outcomes through 76 weeks and exclude some patients with uncontrolled hypertension, recent cardiovascular events, or significant mood disorders, which may limit generalizability.

Reference: Wharton S, le Roux CW, Kadowaki T, et al. Survodutide for treatment of obesity: rationale and design of two randomized phase 3 clinical trials SYNCHRONIZE-1 and -2. Obesity (Silver Spring). 2025 Jan;33(1):67-77. doi: 10.1002/oby.24184.

Investigators of this randomized controlled trial evaluated the independent and combined effects of 10-hour time-restricted eating (TRE) and resistance training (RT) over 8 weeks in physically active young adults with overweight or obesity. Participants were assigned to control, TRE, RT, or TRE+RT groups. TRE allowed eating during a self-selected 10-hour window between 8:00 AM and 8:00 PM without restricting food type, quality, or portions, while RT involved supervised total-body resistance exercise three times per week. TRE alone and TRE+RT both reduced body weight and BMI, while RT alone did not significantly affect either measure. TRE also reduced waist and hip circumference, and TRE+RT produced the broadest body-composition benefit, including greater fat-mass reduction than RT alone.

A key finding was that TRE alone was associated with a decrease in fat-free mass, suggesting potential lean-mass loss, while RT increased fat-free mass and appeared to prevent TRE-related fat-free-mass loss when combined with TRE. RT alone and TRE+RT also reduced diastolic blood pressure, while none of the interventions significantly affected systolic blood pressure or heart rate. Mood measures, including depression and stress, were not worsened by any intervention, and sleep quality improved most clearly with RT. The authors conclude that combining TRE with resistance training may be a practical nonpharmacologic strategy for weight loss, fat-mass reduction, waist and hip circumference reduction, and muscle-mass preservation in young adults who are overweight or with obesity, though the small sample size and lack of calorie/protein intake data limit interpretation.

Reference: Cui T, Sun Y, Ye W, Liu Y, Korivi M. Efficacy of time restricted eating and resistance training on body composition and mood profiles among young adults with overweight/obesity: a randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2025 Dec;22(1):2481127. doi: 10.1080/15502783.2025.2481127.

This American Diabetes Association’s Obesity Association guidance focuses on reducing weight bias and stigma in obesity care through evidence-based recommendations for training, clinical environments, and communication. The authors emphasize that all clinicians and staff should receive education on weight bias, including the complex genetic, biological, behavioral, social, and environmental factors that influence obesity. Training should go beyond attitude awareness to include practical communication skills, empathy-building, self-reflection, and concrete strategies for reducing implicit and explicit bias. Multicomponent education, including lectures, lived-experience panels, simulations, role-play, and continuing education, may help improve clinician confidence, empathy, obesity diagnosis, and referral to care.

The guidance also recommends creating clinical settings that accommodate and respect people with obesity, including private weighing areas, appropriate scales, gowns, exam tables, chairs, blood pressure cuffs, phlebotomy supplies, and imaging access. Communication should be person-centered and nonjudgmental, using terms such as “person with obesity” rather than “obese person,” avoiding stigmatizing language, and asking permission before discussing weight. The authors stress shared decision-making, individualized goals beyond weight reduction, and long-term collaboration between patients and care teams. Overall, the guidance frames respectful, stigma-free obesity care as a systems issue requiring education, environmental changes, inclusive language, and patient-centered partnership.

Reference: Bannuru RR; Professional Practice Committee. Weight stigma and bias: standards of care in overweight and obesity-2025. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 2025 May 16;13(Suppl 1):e004962. doi: 10.1136/bmjdrc-2025-004962.