The economics of thinness (Ozempic edition)

Arriving in Stepford, Connecticut, Joanna – protagonist of The Stepford Wives, a horror novel – is dragged to a “workout class” at the Simply Stepford Day Spa by a neighbour. The duo are met by 15 identikit women. Their hair, heights and skin colours differ a little. Their waist sizes do not. Each can be no bigger than a British size 8, their waists nipped in by belts and accentuated by 1950s skirts.

As some describe it, this is where the world is now heading owing to the

discovery of weight-loss drugs.

In three short years since America’s Federal Drug Administration approved these medications, their use has exploded. Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, has become Europe’s most valuable company. Eli Lilly, which manufactures Mounjaro, was one of America’s best performers in 2023. And celebrities including Oprah Winfrey and Kelly Clarkson have emerged, almost overnight, slimmed down and svelte.