GLP-1 medications have gone from treating diabetes to becoming some of the most talked-about drugs in America. 

For some people, they've been life-changing. For others, the side effects, cost and long-term commitment have made them rethink whether the drug is worth it. 

In the Loop talks with a panel of residents across the Chicago region about how these medications changed their health, their relationship with food, and the complicated decisions involved in taking or stopping GLP-1 drugs.

GUESTS: Linda Nemec, Sleepy Hollow, Ill., resident

Dr. Ahsan Basha, oncologist, Edgewater resident

Betsy Elsaesser, Logan Square resident

Since they burst onto the market five years ago, millions of people have used GLP-1 therapies to lose weight. The drugs have transformed diabetes and obesity treatment, but questions remain around the sustainability and safety of these drugs.  

On today’s In the Loop, we continue our conversation on GLP-1s with a focus on both diabetes and weight loss. How effective are GLP-1s in treating obesity? 

GUEST: Dr. Silvana Pannain, Obesity Medicine Director at the UChicago Medicine Center for Weight and Metabolic Health

A Chicago disability rights organization is suing the city, alleging it has failed to maintain sidewalks, leaving them inaccessible for people with mobility disabilities. 

The same organization successfully sued the city two years ago, alleging the city’s crosswalks violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.

As Disability Pride Month comes to a close, In the Loop brings together an attorney behind both the new and previous lawsuit, a plaintiff in the suit and a local advocacy group leader to hear just how accessible Chicago is.

GUESTS: Rachel Weisberg, directing attorney at Disability Rights Advocates

Kevin Sullivan, plaintiff against the city, motivational speaker

Peter Tucic, vice president of public policy at Chicago Lighthouse