Weighing the Good and Bad of Weight-Loss Drugs

Science Quickly

Scientific American

Science

4.4 • 1.4K Ratings

🗓️ 9 January 2026

⏱️ 22 minutes

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Summary

Drugs known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, colloquially called GLP-1 medications, have gone from relatively obscure diabetes treatments to blockbuster weight-loss medications. But is the hype backed up by science? In this episode, freelance science journalist Bethany Brookshire joins host Kendra Pierre-Louis to talk about how these drugs mimic natural hormones, why they’re so effective and what the latest research about their broader health effects says. Plus, we discuss what a recently rolled-out GLP-1 pill, the first of its kind approved for obesity, could mean for the future of weight loss. Recommended Reading: Wegovy Weight-Loss Pills Are Now Available in the U.S.—Here’s What That Means“Doctors Are Worried about Prescribing GLP-1s to Certain Patients,” by Bethany Brookshire, in National Geographic. Published online November 20, 2025 “The Unexpected Ways Ozempic-like Drugs Might Fight Dementia,” by Bethany Brookshire, in National Geographic. Published online June 17, 2025 “Is There Really an Ozempic Baby Boom? The Unexpected Ways GLP-1s Could Influence Fertility,” by Bethany Brookshire, in National Geographic. Published online November 4, 2025 E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new everyday: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for our daily newsletter. Science Quickly is produced by Kendra Pierre-Louis, Fonda Mwangi, Sushmita Pathak and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura, with fact-checking by Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck. Our theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:29.8	Thank you. For Scientific American Science Quickly, I'm Kendra Pier-Lewis, in for Rachel Feldman.
0:51.7	Over the past few years, GLP-1 drugs have gone from relatively obscure diabetes medications
0:56.4	to household names for weight loss. The trend really took off in 2021, when the FDA
1:01.7	approved somaglotide for weight loss, sold under the brand names Ozempic and Wigovi.
1:06.2	If you're not taking one, someone in your life likely is. That includes celebrities such as
1:10.3	Megan Treanor and Serena Williams, who say they've used
1:12.7	JLP1 injectables.
1:14.5	With the rising popularity of these medications, drug makers are busy creating newer and more
1:18.9	potent formulations.
1:20.8	This week, the first GLP1 weight loss pill became available in the U.S., an oral version
1:25.5	of U.Govie.
1:26.6	And growing research suggests J GLP1s might have
1:28.6	uses beyond diabetes and weight loss too. But how do these drugs actually work? And do they really
	...

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