Pro/Con: Longer lives, lower health care costs among benefits of weight-loss medications

Pro/Con: Longer lives, lower health care costs among benefits of weight-loss medications

Alarmed by rising rates of obesity, public health officials have urged Americans for decades to eat better, move more, and make healthier choices. Yet, obesity rates kept rising, peaking at 40% of Americans in 2022. The decline since then is clearly linked to something else: a new class of medications known as GLP-1. The arrival of these drugs has historic implications for Americans’ health. Obesity and its related conditions — including diabete…