A journey about the weight loss drug Ozempic – podcast
George Chidi, a politics and democracy reporter for Guardian US, recently came to Europe on holiday. He had been looking forward to eating his way through Paris and London, and was especially looking forward to the cheese. But when he got here, something surprised him. He enjoyed the food, but noticed he wasn’t eating too much.
He explains the past few months Hannah Moore, he used the slimming drug Ozempic. Nearly 2% of the US population uses it and the company behind it is worth billions. But while it’s been a big year for semaglutide weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, the changes they’re making in American society are just beginning.
From reduced profits for fast food companies to breakthroughs in its use to treat other diseases, from kidney problems to dementia, the long-term consequences could surprise us all. But for Chidi, whose reporting often focuses on inequality, the price of the drugs and who can afford them also pose problems. Can they increase social inequality even as they make the country healthier?
Photo: David J Phillip/AP