U.S. consumers pay higher prices for weight loss drugs than any other country in the world, according to a 2023 KFF study. Cheaper alternatives online, however, are not always what they seem. "People are really taking a risk by ordering these products ...

In one hand, a slender young woman holds up a bottle of clear liquid. The words “Skinny” and “GLP-1” — a new class of weight loss drugs — are visible on the label. In the other hand, she raises up a pipette filled with the liquid, as if to drop it in her open mouth. “Lose up to 15% of your body weight,” reads the caption on the Instagram post.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has added a new warning to drugs including Ozempic and Wegovy, cautioning that patients taking the drugs may be at a higher risk of inhaling gastric contents into their lungs while under anesthesia.