Weight-loss drugs are changing the debate around obesity, and their use looks likely to shape our future health and society. Questions have arisen about whether obesity is a personal or societal failing and if effective weight-loss drugs are the solution in an obesity crisis. While recent suggestions from the UK’s new Labour government show these drugs could be used to help obese people get back to work, concerns have been raised that it’s another excuse to dodge the big issue of why so many people are overweight.
Semaglutide, sold under the brand name Wegovy, is one such drug that mimics a hormone that is released when we eat and dialling down our appetite so that we eat less, leading to a beneficial drop in weight. Obesity scientists believe that a lot of overweight people have a “hormonal deficiency” that makes them biologically more hungry. It was an advantage many years ago when food was less plentiful. However, with cheap and calorie-dense foods, ballooning portion sizes, and less walking or cycling, obesity has become an ever-present issue.
While obese adults in the UK now account for one in four people, taking Wegovy (or similar drugs) can result in weight loss of around 15% of their starting body weight before the benefits plateau. It could help improve health area risk such as heart attack risk, sleep apnoea and type 2 diabetes, making it a potent tool in the fight against obesity.
Although some policymakers argue that weight-loss drugs can help in slowing obesity rates, others maintain that tackling the food industry is more effective, transforming what we can buy and eat. Furthermore, some scientists are also intrigued that weight-loss drugs might be the event that triggers the change in our meals, even with food companies’ financial interests at heart. With weight-loss medication becoming significantly cheaper over the next decade, it remains to be seen who will end up using them and how
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