Expect a bumper year for weight-loss drugs

By Natasha Loder

FOR decades, weight-loss drugs have been a disappointment, delivering ineffective or even dangerous treatments. The recent arrival of drugs that are both effective and safe is therefore a medical milestone. Some now talk of a long-term future in which obesity might be cured. That is no small claim: obesity is a serious global problem, with 1.1bn people, or roughly 14% of the world’s population, being obese.