Just because Ozempic is making headlines doesn’t mean that everyone should take it or the other GLP-1 drugs. Sometimes, people (including doctors and public officials) can get swept up by the promise and the hype around a new medication, and be convinced that everyone should take a drug, even if they don’t need it.

For example, at one time some experts suggested — only slightly humorously — that statin drugs should be put in the water because they provided so many benefits.

I don’t think that people should take any drugs, either prescription or over-the-counter, unless they really need to take them. And I continue to believe that slow, steady weight loss achieved through diet and exercise is the best weight-loss strategy for most people.

I have helped patients shed 15, 25, even 50 pounds or more by employing the ideas outlined in my books, The Simple Heart Cure, and The Simple Heart Cure Diet and Meal Plan.

However, we live in a world of instant gratification, and many people don’t want to take the slow, steady approach to weight loss.

Others have tried to lose weight for years, only to end up in failure and despair.

Still others may be at risk of heart attack, stroke, diabetes, or other conditions, and must lose weight to save their lives.

For people who are overweight or obese, and who have a medical condition exacerbated by excess weight, these new drugs do warrant careful consideration.