Compounded alternatives to Zepbound are on the way out. Guido Mieth/Getty Images/Digital Vision hide caption
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Move aside, BMI: There's a better way to define obesity, commission finds
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People who exercise regularly have a greater capacity to store fat under the skin, which is better than storing it around organs like the liver and the heart. Arno Images/Getty Images hide caption
GLP-1 drugs, like Wegovy and Ozempic, may not be good only for diabetes and weight-loss. They are also showing promise for preventing some cancers. UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images hide caption
Medicaid plans aren't required to cover Wegovy for weight loss and obesity, but some do and others are considering adding it for those uses. Scott Olson/Getty Images hide caption
Wegovy, a semaglutide medication, will be covered by Medicare. George Frey/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
Kate Manne Simon Wheeler/Simon Wheeler for Cornell University hide caption
People with metabolic syndrome, which can include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar and several other conditions, are at higher risk of getting cancer, a new study finds. Oscar Wong/Getty Images hide caption
How high blood sugar, hypertension and obesity can add up to cancer risk
Drugmaker Eli Lilly & Co. received Food and Drug Administration approval for an obesity drug called Zepbound that will be a rival to Novo Nordisk's Wegovy. Darron Cummings/AP hide caption
The author awaits a bowl of ramen noodles in a Tokyo restaurant. Yuki Noguchi/NPR hide caption
What the U.S. could learn from Japan about making healthy living easier
Eli Lilly is seeking FDA approval for tirzepatide for chronic weight management. The drug could be approved by the end of the year. Eli Lilly & co. hide caption
Maria Caprigno and her son, Harry, at Disney World. Maria Caprigno hide caption
13 years after bariatric surgery, a 27-year-old says it changed her life
Children share apples in Sydney, Australia. Natalie Board/Getty Images/EyeEm hide caption
As soda consumption has dropped in the West, companies are making an effort to woo new customers in other places. This Coke bottle ad is in Mozambique. Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images hide caption
Scant obesity training in medical school leaves docs ill-prepared to help patients
Wegovy has been called "a major breakthrough" given how well it works to reduce body weight. But the injection drug is extremely expensive and when people can't afford to stay on it, they experience rebound weight gain that's hard to stop. Katherine Streeter for NPR hide caption
Wegovy works. But here's what happens if you can't afford to keep taking the drug
More than 14.4 million children and teens are living with obesity. New guidance from the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends early treatment. Patrick Sison/AP hide caption
A Planet Fitness employee cleans equipment before a gym's reopening in March in Inglewood, Calif., after being closed due to COVID-19. Reduced access to recreation likely has contributed to weight gain during the pandemic. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
Health conditions exacerbated by obesity include heart disease, stroke, Type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, according to the CDC. Researchers say the newly approved drug Wegovy could help many who struggle with obesity lose weight. adamkaz/Getty Images hide caption
A health care worker at a drive-through site in Greenville, Miss., administers a COVID-19 vaccine shot in January. Mississippi was one of the first states to add a body mass index of 30 or more (a rough gauge of obesity) to its current list of qualifying medical conditions for vaccine eligibility. Rory Doyle/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
A person buys soda at a convenience store in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, on April 13. The country has high levels of obesity and medical conditions that health authorities warn are related to a diet high in soda and processed foods. Mauricio Palos/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption
'We Had To Take Action': States In Mexico Move To Ban Junk Food Sales To Minors
An EMT wearing protective equipment moves a patient into Elmhurst Hospital Center in the Queens borough of New York. Preliminary data suggest COVID-19 is having a disproportionate impact on communities of color. Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption