Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Find out how to listen to other BBC stations

Episode details

World Service,11 Feb 2026,26 mins

The ‘weight loss revolution’ changing the world

The Global Story

Available for over a year

During Sunday's Super Bowl in California, a flurry of ads from drug manufacturers and telehealth companies implored viewers at home to "ask their doctor” about a class of weight loss drugs, known as GLP-1s. These medications — like Mounjaro and Wegovy — have become ubiquitous. In just a few short years, they’ve transformed the way we live, move, and eat, whether we take them or not. And access and demand are only increasing, as pill forms of the drugs come onto the market. But where did they come from? And how are they reshaping our world? Today, we speak to Giles Yeo, a professor of molecular neuroendocrinology at the University of Cambridge, about the so-called weight loss revolution. Producer: Xandra Ellin Executive producer: Bridget Harney Sound engineer: Travis Evans Senior news editor: China Collins (Photo: Someone using a set of weighing scales. Chris Radburn/PA)

Programme Website
More episodes
Trending Now