I'm William Brangham, and this is Horizons.

The popularity of GLP1 drugs has exploded.

Once used almost exclusively for diabetes,

these revolutionary drugs are now booming as a way to lose weight.

Are GLP1's a helpful tool or a lifelong dependence?

And do they also work to curb addiction? Coming up next.

Welcome to Horizons from PBS News.

When it comes to GLP1 drugs, you cannot escape the ads.

I'm on row, 34 pounds down on GLP1s.

Big news, America.

Wagovi now comes in a pill.

Micro habits, micro wins, even microdose GLP ones.

Once a relatively obscure class of drugs used for people with diabetes,

GLP ones have now shown an impressive ability to treat obesity,

which affects over 100 million Americans.

People taking drugs like Wagovi and

Ozenpik have lost huge amounts of weight, some losing up to 20% of their body weight. Many

also saw a reduced risk of heart attacks and strokes, improvement in sleep apnea, and joint

and liver health. The market for these drugs has exploded, growing

by over 40-fold in a very short period. Last year, one in eight Americans, about 12% of the

population, said they were taking these costly prescription medicines. As remarkable as they are,

their immense popularity and high cost has meant that the drugs

...