Are weight-loss drugs a magic bullet? | The Conversation | BBC Focus on Africa podcast - BBC Africa

🎬Weight-loss drugs are everywhere at the minute... from Hollywood red carpets to your TikTok feeds. These are drugs that were initially designed to treat diabetes, but along the way experts realised they could also help you shed some kilos. Since then, they have exploded in popularity, with millions of people using them in countries like the UK and the US. The World Health Organisation recently issued guidance on their use for the treatment of long-term obesity. Despite this, experts have also warned against using them without medical supervision for quick, cosmetic results. While South Africa is the only country on the African continent to approve their use for weight-loss, they are becoming more accessible in other countries. So, what is it really like to be on them? And what is the medical research saying so far? Focus on Africa’s host, Nkechi Ogbonna, sat down with Ciru Muriuki, a Kenyan journalist and content creator, who has been on weight-loss medications for the past few months. Nkechi also spoke to Dr Marius Wasserfall, based in South Africa, about how these drugs work and what they do to the body. 0:00 Coming up 0.27 Introduction 1.40 Growing popularity of weight-loss drugs 2.55 Stigma around weight-gain 4.01 Ciru's experience at her heaviest weight 6.38 Weight-loss with the gastric balloon 8.10 Ciru's decision to try weight-loss drugs 10.00 Dr Marius Wasserfall on how weight-loss injections work 12.00 Ciru's relationship with food 13.00 Weight-loss drugs in Africa 14.15 The cost of the drugs 15.23 Side-effects 16:20 What does medical research say about these drugs? 19.15 Concerns are regaining the weight 20.00 How Ciru feels after her weight-loss 21.10 Are weight-loss drugs the new magic bullet? #bbcafrica #weightloss #weightlossdrugs 🎤 Presenter: Nkechi Ogbonna 🎬 Producers: Priyanka Sippy, Carolyne Kiambo, Ly Truong, Fana Negash 🎞️ Editors: Maryam Abdalla and Sam Murunga Subscribe: http://bit.ly/subscribetoafrica Website: https://www.bbc.com/africa Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bbcnewsafrica/ Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/bbcafrica/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbcafrica/