This February 2024 episode of the Today Explained podcast covers Ozempic – the 'wonder drug' being used for weight loss – and the seismic effect its success is having on the Danish economy and beyond.

Step aside fad diets and celebrity exercise regimes. Weight loss has a new face — one that could have an impact on the global economy.

The antidiabetic drug semaglutide, known widely by the brand name Ozempic, has begun to be used as a treatment for weight loss.

Though it is not yet approved for use as a weight-loss drug, Ozempic is becoming wildly popular.

The newfound wealth of pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, which manufactures the drug, is already altering the Danish economy and is poised to do the same in the U.S.

In this February 2024 episode of the Today Explained podcast, host Noel King talks to two journalists about the actual and potential impact of Ozempic's success as the drug becomes more widely used.