Lisa Niven-Phillips in Vogue:
From Matt Hancock’s WhatsApp messages to Ariana DeBose’s viral BAFTAs rap, there are certain topics you just can’t avoid if you spend any significant amount of time online. One of the most oft-discussed subjects of recent months? The irrepressible rise of semaglutide medications. A class of injectable drugs which work to suppress appetite and slow down digestion by replicating hormones produced naturally within the body, semaglutide medications such as Ozempic and Wegovy can control high blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes, as well as facilitating weight loss in those with obesity. But, perhaps unsurprisingly in a culture which places thinness on a pedestal, this ability to help users shed pounds rapidly has piqued the interest of those beyond just the patients it was initially intended to treat. And with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) having just approved Wegovy for use in the UK specifically as a weight loss aid, the conversation looks set to get more complicated still.
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