11 October 2017 - Without action on obesity, the economic burden of treating obesity related diseases is estimated to rise from $12 billion in 2014 to $21 billion in 2025.

Obesity is one of the leading causes driving the high rates of heart disease and diabetes and has been linked to many types of cancer.

It's a call echoed by the head of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP), Dr Bastian Seidel.

"We've been very clear in terms of what we need to be doing. Firstly we need to actually talk about how we advocate for better treatment options for treating obesity," said Dr Seidel.

He says this includes more cost-effective medications and better access to bariatric surgery.

"There is mediation out there but its not listed on the PBS, so there is significant costs involved if patients want to access those tablets," Dr Seidel told AAP.

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