The injectable drug semaglutide, better known by trade names like Wegovy and Ozempic, is going to create an ethical and financial maelstrom that will make the downsides of Viagra’s history, with huge numbers of men not treated for their diabetes or heart disease, pale in comparison. The drug, alongside a cache of similar weight-loss medications, has become immensely popular over the past few years—the demand revealing cost issues, dubious marketing, questionable online sales and failures to address underlying causes of disease.
A nation, indeed a world, that had no idea what to do about obesity, including how to describe the problem without perpetuating stigma and bias on the afflicted, is launching into an era in which the majority of humanity may use injectables not just for obesity control but simply for maintaining normal weight while eating as they please. The trend echoes that of Viagra—a drug originally used for erectile dysfunction, now used regularly without batting an eye by those who are just nervous, not dysfiunctional. Being overweight will soon not be a source of stigma, shame or failure; the problem will diminish because of people taking a drug.
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Beyond costs are many other hugely problematic questions: What will be the consequences of using injectables for many years, if not a lifetime? What are the risks for children? How long will efficacy continue? What are the risks of long-term use?
