How weight-loss drugs are changing our culture and relationships

GLP-1 drug use has doubled to 12.4%, reshaping food, fashion, fitness and travel. Their growing impact reaches grocery trends, restaurants, identity and relationships.

Listen 51:12
Weight-loss drugs can affect your relationship; sometimes in the bedroom, sometimes at mealtime.

Weight-loss drugs can affect your relationship; sometimes in the bedroom, sometimes at mealtime.

The use of GLP-1 drugs has surged over the past year. A new Gallup poll shows that 12.4% of Americans are now taking them — a two-fold increase from just a year ago. And while we’re still learning about the important health effects these medications may offer, their influence is already reaching far beyond the doctor’s office. 

GLP-1s are reshaping how people think about food, clothing, exercise and even travel — touching nearly every corner of the economy. The impact is only beginning to be felt in grocery sales, restaurant menus, fashion design and fitness trends. On top of that, some people are discovering that they are altering their romantic relationships and their sex lives. 

This hour, we explore how GLP-1s are leaving their mark on food, fashion, our identity and  our romantic lives.

Guests:

Jaclyn Peiser, covers retail for The Washington Post

Lisa Miller, The New York Times correspondent for the Well desk

 

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