How to cure obesity, worldwide

 

Zanny Minton Beddoes Editor-in-chief

With so much bad news around, it was a pleasure to run a cheerful cover story this week. Scientists have stumbled upon a weight-loss drug that actually seems to work. Or rather, a class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists, sold under brand names such as Wegovy and Ozempic. TikTok influencers and Hollywood celebrities are obsessed with the injections, which have led in clinical trials to weight loss of around 15%. Eventually, the beneficiaries will be billions of people whose weight has made them unhealthy. This is no longer just a rich-country problem. By 2035 more than half the people on the planet will be overweight or obese, by one estimate. For now, the drugs are expensive, and their long-term effects are unknown. But competition—and bulk purchases by governments—will make them cheaper. And if careful monitoring finds no major side-effects, the drugs could help humanity win its long and hitherto futile fight against flab.

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