How Ozempic is changing weight loss

GLP-1s like Ozempic and Mounjaro are wildly popular for treating diabetes, obesity and now cosmetic weight-loss. How are they changing health care and our culture?

Air Date: September 19, 2024 12:00 pm

The injectable drug Ozempic is shown Saturday, July 1, 2023, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Ozempic, Mounjaro, Wegovy…the so-called miracle drugs that are changing how diabetes and obesity are treated. One in eight Americans have tried a GLP-1 and dozens of celebrities have touted their weight-loss effects. But these drugs are expensive and still not available for everyone. Plus, they have side effects that some people can’t tolerate.

So how are these drugs changing how we think about weight and health? As the drugs become more ubiquitous, how will they change our culture? For instance, are they the death knell for the diet industry? And are they a step back or a step forward for body positivity?

Guests

Mara Gordon, Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at Cooper Medical School of Rowan University

David Sarwer, Director of the Center for Obesity Research and Education at Temple University’s College of Public Health

Julie Simonson, a psychotherapist in private practice in Wayne, Pennsylvania

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