Should weight-loss drugs be easier or harder to get? Should there be stricter limits on how weight-loss drugs are advertised?
Are New Weight Loss Drugs Beneficial?
The rise of the use of weight loss drugs is a concerning one. Weight loss drugs should be harder to get and there should be stricter limits on how weight loss drugs are advertised.
Currently, there is a record of 15% of people who have taken this drug, and 11% of people who are taking it right now. That is roughly about 913 million people taking a weight loss drug. Only two years ago in 2024, there was only about 3% of people taking this drug. The number has almost quadrupled.
This is worrying because many people see the drug as highly effective, so it would work for many reasons. Because it is highly effective, it is in high demand and many people are willing to pay a lot for it. This could also cause some people to be addicted to this drug. Weight loss drugs are a drug that is designed to help people lose weight or help with their obesity. The drug can make you feel full longer, make your appetite smaller, and it can change how your body will absorb food.
Weight loss drugs should be harder to get. This because some people might be getting them and don’t need them or they are just addicted to drugs. undefined states, “A number of factors have made weight-loss drugs more accessible over the last few years. Prices have crept down, especially for starting doses of the medications. New drugs have come out, some of them in pill form.” This could be easy for anyone to buy. So, with it being easy to access and buy, people would be able to get hooked onto this. Meaning, they wouldn’t be able to live without it, this causes addiction. Addiction isn’t a good thing so this is why we the drugs should be harder to get.
The should be stricter limits on how the drugs are advertised. Right now, they are advertised through people’s emotional concerns, mental health problems, social media, and easy access. Some drugs that are listed under for weight loss, aren’t actually used for weight loss. A NPR news article says,” But Ozempic is only approved to treat Type 2 diabetes. Companies pay search engines so that their websites are among the first results you see, if you enter certain keywords or phrases.” This shows that people may be buying some type of drug even though it won’t help with their weight loss.
However, many people argue that weight loss drugs are helpful. Diabetes rates have gone down in the past two years and obesity has decreased. A USCF maganzie says, “Starting these medications often causes uncomfortable symptoms. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation as the drugs slow down the digestive process. More rarely, they can lead to severe complications like gallbladder disease or pancreatitis.” This shows that the drugs will have side effects if you these forever and could lead to diseases.
So, doctors should only give medicine to the ones who are prescribed to them.