The rise of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy has sparked a revolution in the medical field, but it’s not without controversy.
In The Cost of Losing, NBC 7 dives deep into the explosive popularity of the medications and explores both the life-changing benefits and the potentially dangerous side effects.
With a blend of patient testimonials, expert interviews and industry insights, the documentary provides a balanced perspective on the impact of GLP-1 agonists, a class of drugs once reserved for diabetes management but now widely prescribed for weight loss.
The Cost of Losing also delves into the larger social and ethical questions surrounding the drugs and examines the influence of pharmaceutical companies, the role of doctors in prescribing the medications and the societal obsession with thinness that often drives people to seek rapid weight loss.
Watch the full documentary:
Additional video:
The Ozempic wave and what it has meant to patients
NBC 7's Catherine Garcia talks to two women about their different experiences with weight-loss drug Ozempic.
The rise in demand for weight-loss surgery
A San Diego plastic surgeon discusses a trend he's seeing, reports Garcia, and talks about "Ozempic face."
Investigating big pharma
NBC 7's Alexis Rivas followed the money trail, uncovering how much is being spent to push the drugs and the strategies that big pharma is employing to increase demand.
America's obsession with weight
A fixation on thinness plays a role in the weigh-loss-medication boom, reports Garcia, who talked to a former UC San Diego Ph.D. scholar studying weight stigma.
How to research your doctor's pharmaceutical-industry disclosures
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services publishes data every year about how much money the pharmaceutical industry spends to educate and market to medical professionals. You can look up your physician by visiting this site. You can also see how much money is spent on research at local teaching hospitals.
Eli Lily, Novo Nordisk, and Scripps Health shared statements with NBC 7 for this project, which can be read in full below — Ed.
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