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"Obesity is an epidemic, and we urgently need effective treatments", says Dr. Sahar Takkouche, an obesity and bariatric- medicine specialist at Vanderbilt Health. It's unusual for a medication to become a household name; even more uncommon for its branding to become, like Advil, shorthand for an entire class of products; and rarest of all, for it to change not just U.S. medicine, but U.S. culture. And, even though obesity is considered a risk factor for developing heart disease, studies have found overweight patients tend to fare better than thinner patients when they're treated for cardiovascular conditions, a trend known as the "obesity paradox.". [Extracted from the article]

In 2024, there will be new and more potent weight-loss drugs available, building on the success of drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy in 2023. One of these new drugs, Zepbound, is expected to become widely used in the US and potentially elsewhere. It works by mimicking gut hormones GLP-1 and GIP, and early studies suggest it may be more effective than existing drugs, helping people lose 21% of their body weight. Additionally, there are other weight-loss drug candidates on the horizon that mimic different combinations of gut and pancreatic hormones. Some of these drugs may also be available in pill form, providing an alternative to injections. [Extracted from the article]

And, even though obesity is considered a risk factor for developing heart disease, studies have found overweight patients tend to fare better than thinner patients when they're treated for cardiovascular conditions, a trend known as the "obesity paradox." "Obesity is an epidemic, and we urgently need effective treatments", says Dr. Sahar Takkouche, an obesity and bariatric-medicine specialist at Vanderbilt Health. It's unusual for a medication to become a household name; even more uncommon for its branding to become, like Advil, shorthand for an entire class of products; and rarest of all, for it to change not just U.S. medicine, but U.S. culture. [Extracted from the article]

The article presents comments submitted by the journal's readers on a variety of topics. It talks about the wide range of humor-based reviews of advertisements on electronic commerce website Amazon.com, including for Tuscan Whole Milk, fresh whole rabbit, and uranium ore. It presents a humorous comment by a reader linking Australia's obesity epidemic and the Australian continent slowly sinking due to rising sea levels. It mentions a reader's experience having his cell phone sort bird calls.

The article discusses the drug rimonabant, which fights the desire to overeat by blocking receptors in the brain that make a person hungry, which is brought about by appetite-regulating chemicals. The benefits, beside controlling appetite, include lowering a person's risk for heart disease and diabetes. The side effects reported are anxiety and depression.

Discusses how lifestyle writer Jay Jacobs created a diet aid in the form of a yellow piece of fake body fat designed to help curb appetite disorders. How the product, mypetfat, can be purchased in 1 and 5 pound versions.