GLP-1s, Ozempic, Mounjaro, and the new wave of peptides are changing how people lose weight, how they think about their bodies, and who gets access to life-changing treatment. If you care about the real story behind the thinness boom, this one is for you. On this episode of What in the Zeitgeist, we unpack the hype, the science, and the cultural fallout of appetite-suppressing drugs. We break down what GLP-1s actually are, how they work in the brain and body, why average weight loss can hit around 20 percent, and why FDA approval matters more than the internet wants you to think. We discuss: why GLP-1s are being called a breakthrough for diabetes, obesity, and beyondhow these drugs affect hunger, reward, and even the ability to enjoy chocolate, wine, or sexwhy supply shortages and $1,000-a-month price tags make access a serious ethical issuehow vanity use, muscle loss, and off-ramp problems complicate the “easy way out” narrativewhat the rise of grey-market peptides, compounding pharmacies, and influencer culture means for the future of body image and medicine Sources referenced: Your Brain on Ozempic — Your Brain On, featuring Dr. Aisha Shirazi and Dr. Dean Shirazi with Dr. Spencer Nadolsky https://open.spotify.com/episode/3ENUhVbtCcmavAtNMkhrNe?si=lLlM4gRmQz6XCQ0Y7qScpg The Peptide Boom Is Getting Out of Hand: Welcome to the Age of Grey-Market Drugs — The Atlantic, Nicholas Florko https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/03/peptides-compounded-drugs-underground-market/686398/ Americans Have Entered the Age of the Needle — Daniel Engber, The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2026/05/injection-age/687293/ Skinny Culture Is Back with a Vengeance. So Whatever Happened to Body Positivity? — ELLE Canada, Joanie Pietracupa https://www.ellecanada.com/beauty/health-and-fitness/skinny-culture-is-back-with-a-vengeance-so-whatever-happened-to-body-positivity Music licensed through Soundstripe. Code: 19VG2XIW8HGCHFEU
