PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ELENA SCOTTI/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, ISTOCK; GEORGE FREY/REUTERS

The $76 Billion Diet Industry Asks: What to Do About Ozempic?

Weight-loss businesses, which long pushed calorie-counting and willpower, are grappling with the surging popularity of new drugs

Annick Lenoir-Peek, a lawyer from Durham, N.C., has struggled with her weight since adolescence. She has tried Atkins and keto and spent thousands of dollars over decades on weight-loss efforts and programs such as Noom, Nutrisystem and WeightWatchers.

Since starting Ozempic in late November, she has lost around 30 pounds. Her cholesterol and glucose levels have improved, and she can eat far fewer calories without feeling hungry, she says. She has felt few side effects and has more energy than when she tried calorie-restricted diets. Currently on a trip through Eastern Europe, she says she is doing more tours than she would have at a higher weight. 

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