Ozempic explained: What we’re getting wrong about obesity

·32 min·3 clips

Novo Nordisk executives initially dismissed obesity as a lifestyle issue, saying people just need to eat less and exercise more.

The episode begins with host Karl Henry introducing guest Amy Donnellan, a Reuters columnist and author of 'Off the Scales', a book investigating Ozempic and GLP-1 drugs. Donnellan explains she started the book in 2023, before Oprah Winfrey and Elon Musk publicly discussed using these medications. She details how Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic, initially viewed obesity as a lifestyle problem rather than a disease, with executives believing people just needed to eat less and exercise more. The discussion moves to the economic impact, with examples like a kidney dialysis company's share price dropping billions after Novo Nordisk research suggested GLP-1s reduce dialysis need. Donnellan describes how industries from food manufacturing to plastic surgery are being disrupted, citing a New York Times study where users avoided processed snacks for fresh produce. She highlights the 'GLP-1 look' of rapid weight loss leading to excess skin and gauntness. A key point is that over 50% of users stop the drugs within a year, often due to side effects like gastrointestinal issues, which one user termed 'constidiarrhea'. Donnellan explains the science: GLP-1 is a natural hormone that signals fullness, and the drugs work by traveling up the vagus nerve to the brain's dopamine centers, reducing cravings for food, alcohol, and tobacco. She shares personal anecdotes, like a friend considering micro-dosing for minor weight loss, warning that the drugs are lifelong and not for casual use. The conversation turns to societal trends, noting a return to thinness in fashion and media after a period of body positivity. Donnellan discusses the overlooked scientist Svetlana Moistov, who was written out of GLP-1's history but later won a patent lawsuit. Future developments include oral versions with lower efficacy but easier distribution. Ethical concerns are raised about children using GLP-1s, with Donnellan noting childhood obesity can lead to early-onset health issues but cautioning about brain development impacts. The episode concludes with reflections on the drug's role in treating obesity as a disease versus its misuse for cosmetic weight loss.

As heard by us

A clear, human history of GLP-1 science, obesity treatment, and the fight for credit.

GLP-1 drugs are framed here as the product of a longer, messier story than the headlines usually allow. The episode follows the race to isolate GLP-1 and show that it could lower blood sugar, back when diabetes was the central concern.

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Why you'd press play

You want the Ozempic story behind the headlines, with the chemist who helped make GLP-1 in the lab finally pulled back into the frame.

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