Prescription Weight Loss Drugs for All?

Open to Debate

Education, Society & Culture, News, Government, Politics

4.5 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 24 January 2025

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro have opened doors for people to lose weight. Should everyone have the option to take it? Those arguing “yes” say obesity needs to be treated using every available tool, especially for people for whom diet, lifestyle changes, and exercise aren’t enough. Those arguing “no” are concerned about its side effects and the risks if people don’t take them as directed. Now we debate: should prescription weight loss drugs be available for all? Arguing Yes: David Allison, Obesity Researcher; Dean and Distinguished Professor at the Indiana University School of Public Health-Bloomington Arguing No: Stuart W. Flint, Associate Professor of the Psychology of Obesity at the University of Leeds Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:32.8	We'd like to provide a brief note ahead of today's episode. This discussion will touch on topics
0:37.2	related to weight and dieting and body image and the use of medications like OZemPEC for weight management.
0:43.3	These subjects may be triggering for individuals who are experienced or are currently dealing with eating disorders.
0:49.3	So please take care as you listen.
0:55.7	This is open to debate. I'm John Donvan. Hi, everybody. Today we're having a debate about
1:00.4	these medications that everybody's been talking about because they are proving so powerful
1:05.4	in helping people to lose weight. You probably recognize these names, Ozempic, Wigovie, there are others. Technically,
1:13.2	they are all known as semi-glutides or gLP-1 agonists. And they have been used to treat people with
1:19.2	diabetes for years. But it was discovered they also helped people drop weight without a lot of dieting,
1:25.6	without added exercise. And that has made them a hot topic.
1:29.5	And it's also won them approval from the FDA for people diagnosed with obesity, especially
1:34.2	when it comes with other complications. But some are saying, why stop there? Why require a diagnosis
1:40.5	of anything when people might have lots of reasons to want to lose weight fast.
1:45.3	Say there's an actor up for a job in Hollywood and he wants to take off a few pounds.
1:50.0	Or what if the army wants to make sure that soldiers can go undistracted by hunger on a
1:55.4	dangerous mission because these drugs do tend to suppress hunger?
1:59.5	And just in general, if people want to get thinner because they like the look or the feeling, should they be able to do that without a lot of obstacles?
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