The Obesity Revolution

A new generation of obesity drugs is transforming patients’ lives, dividing medical experts, and spurring the biggest business battle in years. Known as incretin mimetics or GLP-1-based drugs, this medication class is seen as the first of a very long line that could have the medical and societal impact of blockbusters like Viagra, Lipitor, and Prozac. Like them, these weight-loss drugs have the potential to reshape the way we think of what it means to be sick and what it takes to be healthy.