Leaders | Eat, inject, repeat

New drugs could spell an end to the world’s obesity epidemic

The long-term effects must be carefully studied. But the excitement is justified

A new type of drug is generating excitement among the rich and the beautiful. Just a jab a week, and the weight falls off. Elon Musk swears by it; influencers sing its praises on TikTok; suddenly slimmer Hollywood starlets deny they have taken it. But the latest weight-loss drugs are no mere cosmetic enhancements. Their biggest beneficiaries will be not celebrities in Los Angeles or Miami but billions of ordinary people around the world whose weight has made them unhealthy.

This article appeared in the Leaders section of the print edition under the headline “Eat, inject, repeat”

From the March 4th 2023 edition

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