Weight of Illusion

India’s new obsession with injectable weight-loss drugs is a story of science outpacing restraint. Once reserved for diabetics, these so-called “miracle jabs” are now being pursued by young professionals, influencers, and even wedding planners as shortcuts to a slimmer self.

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The drugs work, at least in the short run, by mimicking hormones that curb appetite and slow digestion. But what they also reveal is how quickly a medical advance can morph into a lifestyle fad in a country still struggling to define where health ends and vanity begins.

The transformation of the anti-obesity drug market has been astonishing. In just five years, it has ballooned from a niche segment to a multi-crore rupee industry. Patents are expiring, generics are lining up for release, and investors are calling it India’s “magic pill moment.”