et’s be clear: For those who need them — medically rather than cosmetically — the drugs are a godsend. The primary indication for Ozempic and Mounjaro — and the only condition they are currently FDA-approved for — is the treatment of type-2 diabetes (the lifestyle-contingent, typically adult-onset diabetes, as opposed to the rarer type-1 diabetes,... See more

As of September, an estimated 1.5 million people in the UK used GLP-1s, with over 90 per cent paying privately. Many prescriptions are available online, allowing people who don’t qualify for the drugs on the NHS to access them for non-traditional reasons, such as chronic pain or recreational weight loss. A black market has also sprung up in... See more

A majority of people prescribed GLP-1 drugs stop using it within the first year. Maybe it’s the side effects. Maybe they miss drinking and don’t appreciate the nausea. Maybe they can’t afford the drugs. Maybe they stop after they hit their target weight. Maybe people just don’t like injectables.