weight loss

The makers of Ozempic and Mounjaro charge charge around $1,000 a month for the drugs, and insurers are reluctant to pick up the tab. Often, low-income patients have to resort to less effective treatments.

But some health experts worry about traditional diet companies and gyms getting in the medication business and believe the drugs will cater to society’s need for quick fixes.

It's our monthly medical roundtable, when we dive into the month's most significant health headlines.

Health officials say a preliminary review finds no connection between suicidal thoughts and a new class of diabetes and obesity drugs, but they cannot definitively rule out “a small risk may exist."

Many welcome what they say is greater control over what they eat. “I don’t care about the bread as much. I still eat what I enjoy,” says one Tampa area woman who lost more than 200 pounds taking Mounjaro.

New research finds that limiting eating from noon to 8 p.m. helped patients manage weight and blood sugar as much as calorie counting – and was easier to keep up.

The medication is called tirzepatide. It is under review to treat obesity in the U.S. A decision is expected later this year.

Whether we choose to acknowledge it, obesity is a huge problem in the U.S. This is especially true with kids. Two Jacksonville surgeons who deal with the issue daily answer questions about the problem.

Doctors and patients around the country say getting on the high-demand, injectable drugs requires persistence and a fair amount of luck.

The drugs can slow digestion so much that it puts patients at increased risk for pulmonary aspiration, which can cause dangerous lung damage, infections and even death, says one anesthesiologist.