Every once in a while, a new type of medication turns out to be so transformative that it becomes a household name. Take statins, which have prolonged millions of lives by lowering cholesterol. Or Prozac, which revolutionized the treatment of depression.
The latest class of drugs to join this club are the GLP-1 receptor agonists. You might know them better by their brand names: Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro. They’ve been hailed as miracle weight-loss drugs that can help people where diet and exercise have failed. There are also a lot of unknowns about the consequences of long-term use.
I spoke to my colleague Dani Blum on the Well team to find out how they work and who should — and shouldn’t — take them.
What we know — and don’t know — about Ozempic
Dani, I’ve known several people who are on Ozempic who lost weight really fast. How exactly do these drugs work?
So, technically Ozempic is not a weight-loss drug — the actual name-brand medication is approved only for people with diabetes. But “Ozempic” has become a catchall for this new class of drugs called GLP-1s that can, as you said, help people lose a lot of weight, sometimes pretty quickly. Basically, the drugs mimic naturally occurring hormones that blunt our appetites and leave us feeling fuller, for longer. When people take these drugs, they’re just less hungry.
Do people have to stay on them forever to keep the weight off?
Basically, yes. It’s possible, but rare, for people to keep the weight off when they go off these drugs. Even Oprah gained back 20 pounds when she went off them. Doctors I talk to say we should think of these medications like statins — something to be taken long term.
Do we know yet what the side effects of long-term use might be?
No, we don’t really know a lot about potential long-term side effects yet. We just don’t have decades and decades of data.
We do know that these medications can have side effects in the short term. Most commonly, these are gastrointestinal issues: nausea, constipation, diarrhea, stomach pain. People can also get fatigued. In rare cases, people can experience more severe problems, like kidney or gallbladder issues, or pancreatitis.
But at the same time, there seems to be a new study out every week showing GLP-1s help treat various ailments. What’s going on there?
Such a good question. We’ve seen positive data on how these drugs can help with things like sleep apnea, heart issues and kidney issues. But we don’t totally know why.
There are a lot of theories. Some scientists think that it comes down to the fact that obesity is intimately linked with a slate of other health issues, and once people lose weight, other conditions improve. Some think that these drugs can reduce inflammation throughout the body, which could have big benefits. But again, these drugs are pretty new, and there are many open questions.
It sounds as though if these drugs deliver on their promise and help with widespread obesity-related conditions like diabetes, they could help health care systems save a lot of money.
In theory, yes. These drugs could offer big health care savings by lowering the overall burden of disease in a lot of countries. But remember, they are quite expensive, at least for now, so there’s that, too.
Who’s making money on these drugs, apart from the companies producing them? And who stands to lose — and is maybe lobbying against them?
What’s fascinating to me is the array of companies trying to cater specifically to people on GLP-1s. A number of companies — gyms, protein bars, supplement companies — are trying to capitalize on people worried about losing muscle on these drugs. Food companies could lose, but they’re also working to adapt really quickly, partly through these high-protein options for people whose appetite has been curbed by these drugs.
So here’s something I’m wondering about. There is pleasure in eating. If these drugs make you want food less, does that mean you’re less able to experience pleasure? Is this life in beige, as one writer put it?
There isn’t really any concrete evidence that these drugs dull pleasure, but I have heard that anecdotally from people on these medications. Food is a big part of our lives. A lot of us connect with friends and family over meals, and GLP-1s can sometimes throw a wrench into that.
We don’t have any hard evidence — there are no solid studies yet. But there is anecdotal evidence that these drugs curb cravings, and that can be good and bad, right? If it curbs harmful cravings like gambling and excessive shopping, that’s potentially beneficial. If it lowers your sex drive, not so much.
If someone is healthy but still wants to lose weight, is there any reason not to take these drugs?
These really are not meant to be drugs you take to lose 15 pounds. These are powerful medications that you’ll most likely have to stay on for the rest of your life, if you want to keep the weight off. They come with side effects. They can be expensive. These drugs have helped a lot of people, but they’re not a casual commitment.
MORE TOP NEWS
A deal or war?
The U.S. and Iran held a day of high-stakes nuclear talks in Geneva yesterday that could determine whether the two countries go to war or strike a deal.
The foreign minister of Oman, who mediated the talks, said that significant progress had been achieved and that another round of negotiations would take place next week.
President Trump is considering ordering the U.S. military to carry out targeted strikes in Iran. Any strike by the U.S. would most likely pull Israel into its second war with Iran in less than a year. The mood in Israel is wavering between anxiety, resignation and anticipation.
OTHER NEWS
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The prime minister of Denmark called a snap election amid a surge in her approval ratings after she stood up to Trump’s threats to take over Greenland.
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Russia launched big strikes on Ukrainian cities hours before U.S.-Ukraine talks in Geneva.
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Nvidia’s quarterly profit hit $43 billion on strong A.I. chip sales, and its total fiscal year profit hit $120 billion. But the strong results didn’t lift A.I. stocks.
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Cuba said the four armed men aboard a speedboat who exchanged fire with border troops, and six others on the boat, were intent on “an infiltration with terrorist ends.”
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The far-right One Nation party in Australia has soared in opinion polls since the mass shooting at Bondi Beach.
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The Pentagon has given Anthropic until today to remove all restrictions on military use of its A.I. model, or face severe economic consequences.
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Israel indicted an intelligence agent on charges that he profiteered from smuggling goods into Gaza.
EPSTEIN FILES
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Hillary Clinton abruptly halted her closed-door testimony to a House committee investigating Jeffrey Epstein after a Republican leaked a photo from the hearing.
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Borge Brende, the chief executive and president of the World Economic Forum, said he would resign after an investigation of his ties to Epstein.
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Take a look at who else has faced fallout from the Epstein files.
WHAT ELSE IS HAPPENING
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An anonymous donor sent the Japanese city of Osaka 21 gold bars worth some $3.6 million with instructions: Fix the aging water pipes.
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Top of The World: The most clicked link in your newsletter yesterday was about super-agers’ brains.
SPORTS
Football: A goal from Vinícius Júnior helped Real Madrid win 2-1 over Benfica and advance to the UEFA Champions League round of 16.
World Cup 2026: Boston’sgames are in jeopardy because of a financial dispute with FIFA over security costs.
WEDDING AESTHETIC OF THE DAY
“Bridgerton”
— The popular Netflix historical romance is having a big influence on weddings. English mansions, museums, hotels, even a place in rural Virginia are offering grand wedding venues inspired by the Regency era.
MORNING READ
More and more New Zealanders are moving to Australia, lured by higher salaries, opportunities and more sun. Now, one of New Zealand’s most recognizable citizens, Jacinda Ardern, is among them.
A spokesman for Ardern, the country’s former prime minister, said that she and her family were basing themselves in Australia “for the moment.” Her decision has brought new attention to New Zealanders’ growing tendency to emigrate. Read more.
AROUND THE WORLD
Roses are red, violets are blue. She picks subway poems for you.
About forty years ago, Judith Chernaik had an idea: Why not put poems on the Underground, London’s busy subway system. Today, Poems on the Underground, a program she started with two friends in 1986, has transformed millions of morning commutes worldwide. That’s because in addition to filling the city’s subway cars, the project has inspired other transit networks, including New York’s.
At 91, Chernaik, a Brooklyn native who has lived in London for over four decades and is an acclaimed writer herself, is still involved in picking poems. In an interview, she said she ought to retire, but it was clear to our reporter that her passion for poetry, and for getting Londoners reading new work, was undimmed. Read more.
RECIPE
Delicate and subtly sweet, this matcha-coconut custard is a creamy spoon-to-mouth affair. Whip it together in just 20 minutes and leave it in the fridge overnight to set.
WHERE IS THIS?
Where is this skyline?
BEFORE YOU GO …
I was clearing up a pile of books that had accumulated in my bedroom and it struck me how many of the titles were written by Irish authors.
“Small Things Like These,” by Claire Keegan — short and hauntingly beautiful. “Intermezzo,” Sally Rooney’s latest and maybe her best. “The Heart in Winter,” a sort of Irish Bonnie-and-Clyde western by Kevin Barry. And “The Bee Sting,” by Paul Murray, probably among my top 20 novels of all time.
Nearly every other book I read over the last year came out of Ireland — a country of just over 5 million people (but also the country that produced James Joyce and Edna O’Brien).
Maybe living in Wales has given me a soft spot for other Celtic nations. If you haven’t already, definitely watch “Derry Girls.” It’s the story of a group of teenagers during the twilight of The Troubles. It’s epic and sweary and hilariously funny, but also moving and educational. If you have teenage kids, watch it with them. They’ll laugh their way through three delicious seasons that culminate in the Good Friday Agreement.
Finally, give the Irish singer CMAT a listen. I heard her live a couple of months ago. She’s a powerhouse. “Running/Planning” is a favorite, but there are many.
Have a great weekend! — Katrin
TIME TO PLAY
Here are today’s Spelling Bee, Mini Crossword, Wordle and Sudoku. Find all our games here.
A correction: Yesterday’s newsletter misstated the title of a book. It’s “The Mixed Marriage Project,” not “The Mixed Married Project.” Also, we described incorrectly the area where a special election was being held in England. The city of Bradford is outside the constituency that voted.
We welcome your feedback. Send us your suggestions at [email protected].
Katrin Bennhold is the host of The World, the flagship global newsletter of The New York Times.
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