How is Ozempic Changing Entire Industries?
In recent years, Ozempic has become a household name, helping everyone from celebrities to coworkers lose weight. In fact, a survey from Dalhousie University estimated that between 900,000 and 1.4 million Canadians were taking the injectable medication or similar drugs in 2024 — a number that is only expected to grow.
Ozempic and other glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s), are used in the treatment of Type 2 diabetes and obesity. They work by regulating blood sugar, slowing stomach emptying and increasing feelings of fullness. Some studies have shown that people using these medications can lose 10 to 15 per cent of their body weight over a year.
But GLP-1s aren’t just changing what we see on the bathroom scale. According to a new documentary, they’re also having far-reaching effects throughout society, impacting how we shop for food and how we dress. And early research suggests GLP-1s may help to treat a range of other health issues too, meaning we could soon be using them on an even broader scale.
Excerpted from CBC
