When Nature Medicine published a paper in January 2025 showing users of popular weight loss drugs have a reduced risk of a wide range of disorders, the reputable Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant was one of many media outlets around the world to cover the news. The story explained the study was observational and that 19 different side effects had been reported for the drugs. The paper’s editors felt it was a balanced piece.

But Dutch law enforcement officials disagree. In August, 2026, the Dutch Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) fined publishing company DPG Media €51,000 for the story in de Volkskrant and another in the AD newspaper, alleging they violated an EU-wide prohibition of promoting prescription medicines to the public. IGJ also imposed hefty fines on several other prominent Dutch newspapers, a lifestyle magazine, and a popular talk show for their coverage of GLP-1 receptor agonists.

Media in at least two other countries have run afoul of Europe’s strict rules around pharmaceutical advertising as well, in most cases because they wrote too enthusiastically about the new generation of weight loss drugs.
 

Source https://www.science.org/content/article/dutch-news-media-get-hefty-fines-promoting-weight-loss-drugs

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