Public Health

That’s because, as noted in the article, these are functionally weight management drugs, not weight loss drugs. This isn’t really a “hur dur drug companies bad” situation, there are tons of drugs and therapies that are life long (statins, CPAP, antidepressants, and insulin just to name four). Something’s can’t be “cured” like an illness and what GLP-1 drugs treat are exactly those types of conditions. If the price for staying at a healthy weight and all the related benefits is to need to use a GLP-1 drug for the rest of your life, many people would be 100% okay with that (and so would insurance since it otherwise decreases their cost due to the need to treat and manage comorbidities associated with obesity).

It also isn’t that GLP-1s are “shortcuts” or an “easy” way to treat obesity. For many people they can’t lose weight to a healthy point without help. They may have a hormone imbalance, be genetically predisposed to slower metabolism or higher fat retention, be unable to exercise effectively due to chronic injury or disability, or otherwise have an underlying condition that makes it significantly harder or impossible to get and stay at a healthy weight. To shame anyone for trying to be healthier by using the tools available is small minded and shows a distinct lack of awareness of the real world.