As the popularity of drugs such as Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro grow rapidly, patient testimonies have focused not only on the dramatic weight-loss effect but also on how quickly many seem to regain weight if they stop taking the injections. Investors can get excited by a product whose target market is so large (apparently more than 40 percent of American adults are obese) and the medicine must be taken indefinitely.
If you believe research by Dr. Brian Wansink, people eat more than we think. (Unfortunately, he was dishonest and his findings were not correct).
The weight-loss drugs exist, but insurers and employers balk at paying for drugs that may cost over $1000, so the patient may have to pay a considerable fraction. On May 16, 2023, Wall Street Journal had a timely article (“How to Get Your Insurer to Cover Most-Popular Weight-Loss Drugs”)
Most restaurant meals are large enough that we frequently take home enough for one or two meals.