Inside Canada’s Ozempic craze

If you've watched TV or attended a sporting event recently, chances are you've seen an ad for Ozempic. Originally created to treat Type-2 Diabetes, the drug is now most commonly used for weight loss, and it's become so popular that some places in Canada have had to ban Americans from crossing the border to get it. And that isn't the only controversy associated with the medication, which has intensified an age old debate about obesity, how it's defined, and how doctors should treat it. 

Should insurance companies cover obesity and weight loss drugs? Should doctors differentiate between people who have serious health concerns, and those who may just want to drop 20 pounds? And how do we provide treatment to those who need it without furthering the stigmatization of people who may not fit into societies narrow definition of what the 'ideal' body looks like? 

GUEST: Carly Weeks, health reporter, The Globe and Mail

We love feedback at The Big Story, as well as suggestions for future episodes. You can find us:

Through email at [email protected] 

Or @thebigstory.bsky.social on Bluesky