The McKinsey Podcast A new way of thinking about metabolic health
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Feb 5, 2026 Lars Hartenstein, senior fellow at the McKinsey Health Institute and metabolic health strategist, discusses the global scale of obesity and why metabolic health matters. He explores how food, pharma, tech, and policy will be disrupted. He contrasts drug-based treatment with prevention-focused approaches and outlines five system-level shifts to spark a metabolic health revolution.
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Obesity Is A Global Economic And Health Opportunity
- About a billion adults live with obesity and it drives many downstream diseases. Lars Hartenstein says this creates a giant economic and health opportunity across industries.
Two Diverging Paths: Treat Or Prevent
- Two paths exist: a treatment-focused trail following drug innovation, and a prevention-focused push to deliver metabolic health for all. McKinsey estimates prevention (Path 2) could yield three to four times larger health effects than treatment alone.
Define And Measure Metabolic Health Broadly
- Define metabolic health on a spectrum with clear biomarkers like glucose, blood pressure, and lipids to guide action. Improve transparency so individuals know their metabolic status earlier and continuously.