Believe it or not, and despite what you’re hearing, when it comes to addressing the American epidemic of obesity, there is no magic pill. The good news, however, is that for the first time, there are new medicines that seem to be magic — because they work.
The new group of medicines called GLP-1 receptor agonists are headline news. Why? Because they are more effective than any previous class of drugs in getting patients to lose weight and, equally important (and in combination with diet and exercise), keep it off. Initially approved by the Food and Drug Administration for patients with diabetes, they have become so popular among people who want to lose weight that the companies that manufacture them can’t keep up with demand.
And many insurance providers (most notably Uncle Sam) are worried that helping America successfully combat obesity will break the national health care piggy bank. Nothing could be more incorrect and shortsighted. Let’s make one thing crystal clear — helping America slim down must be a national priority lest we allow obesity and the diseases that often come with it (heart disease, stroke, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and some cancers, to name a few) to bury us both financially and literally.
Read more: Redlining America’s girth: New medicines help battle obesity
