New Weight Loss Drugs Disrupt Long-Held Beliefs About Obesity

A new class of weight loss drugs is changing the way doctors, researchers and patients think about obesity. Medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro dampen appetite and their effectiveness has challenged the perception that people who are obese simply lack willpower to make better choices. It’s also raising questions among those who have worked hard to embrace their bodies at any weight. In a recent piece in Vox, journalist Julia Belluz writes, “the medicines have become a lightning rod in an obesity conversation that is increasingly binary — swinging between fat acceptance and fatphobia.” We discuss what these recent drugs reveal about weight gain, willpower and the science behind eating habits.

Guests:

Julia Belluz, freelance health reporter, author of the recent New York Times guest essay: "What New Weight Loss Drugs Teach Us About Fat and Free Will."

Peminda Cabandugama, endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist, Cleveland Clinic - He is also spokesperson for The Obesity Society and vice president of the Midwest Obesity Society

Diana Thiara, medical director, UCSF Weight Loss Management Program - She specializes in caring for patients who are overweight or obese, and has a particular interest in helping them focus on nutrition and lifestyle adjustments to optimize their health.

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