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June 15, 2025 34 mins

Weight loss drugs like Mounjaro and Wegovy aren't just changing bodies - they're rewiring society. Half a million Britons have tried them and that number’s soaring. So what will be different in this slim new world? Sunday Times science editor Ben Spencer explains how the drugs are fundamentally altering everything from alcohol to airlines. We also hear Harriet Walker's experience of taking the drugs, and why the expression "on the pen" is now firmly in the vernacular of fashion week.


This podcast was brought to you thanks to the support of readers of The Times and The Sunday Times. Subscribe today: http://thetimes.com/thestory


Guests: 

  • Ben Spencer, Science Editor, The Sunday Times.
  • Harriet Walker, Fashion Editor, The Times.

Host: Manveen Rana.

Producer: Olivia Case.

Further reading:

I tried Ozempic microdosing, the secret way the rich lose weight

All the ways Ozempic will change our world, from alcohol to airlines

Clips: Times Radio, Doctor Mike / Youtube, Mark Lewis / YouTube, Fox, @Alexanderweightjourney / YouTube, @DoctorYoun / YouTube, Dr Emma Anders / YouTube, FatOldClimber / YouTube, @ChrisWilx / YouTube, SouthPark / Paramount Plus / Comedy Central, TikTok / Kasiedate, TikTok / @Gabysuecum, TikTok / sistershred. 

Photo: Romas Foord for The Times magazine. 

Get in touch: thestory@thetimes.com 


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