LONDON – Groundbreaking weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy have understandably generated a lot of excitement, bringing hope to the hundreds of millions of people grappling with obesity. When combined with a healthier diet and exercise, these drugs, which work by suppressing appetite, deliver an average 10% reduction in body weight that can be sustained for years.
With more than two-thirds of adults in the United Kingdom and nearly three-quarters in the United States classified as overweight or obese – a health crisis that costs national economies billions of dollars annually – physicians and policymakers could be forgiven for embracing these drugs as a panacea. US President Joe Biden’s administration, for example, recently proposed requiring Medicare and Medicaid to cover the costs of weight-loss drugs, offering access to millions of Americans. But addressing obesity requires much more than a technological fix.
