The number three floats at the center of a red background, surrounded by seven eyes staring at it -- 3 to watch coverage from STAT
Christine Kao/STAT

This time last year, we were eager to see how blockbuster obesity drugs would actually perform, and if they had staying power. We’ve gotten some answers. However, our crystal ball failed to predict the arrival of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and his “Make America Healthy Again” entourage,   which materialized seemingly overnight in the summer. 

We knew the drugs were changing society, but we didn’t know that Kennedy would hand a megaphone to critics of the drugs and the pharma industry, or that he’d become a conduit for a vast array of health concerns. Average people are talking about disease prevention, looking to modify their diets and lifestyle habits to ward off the leading causes of death and disability. (Primary care physicians rejoice!) That, along with the widespread health care dissatisfaction that became glaringly evident, has made chronic disease a top issue as we enter 2025. 

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What comes next? Here are three things we’re keeping an eye out for next year:

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