In January 2024, we published “Here’s the Skinny on Those New Weight-Loss Drugs,” our first story on GLP-1 drugs. At that time, many people had heard of Ozempic and maybe Wegovy, but the term GLP-1 did not yet resonate with most of us.
Fast forward two and half years, and these drugs seem to be everywhere now. In the past week alone, I’ve had two friends tell me that they are taking GLP-1s to lose weight. According to a reputable study, one in eight Americans—that’s roughly 40 million people—are taking them. Usage has quadrupled in the past few years. That’s an incredible adoption rate. Not AI levels (roughly half of Americans use some form of AI), but it’s still a remarkable increase.
This phenomenon explains why the cover story of our annual health issue is dedicated to GLP-1s. In “Weighty Issues,” writer Adrienne Wichard-Edds takes a deep dive into these drugs—how they work, the health benefits and risks, the lifestyle changes that may occur and the social implications of taking them. As far as I can tell, these drugs may be poised to transform our society and finally end what the CDC describes as a national obesity epidemic.
Rounding out the health issue are our annual Top Doctors and Top Dentists lists. The featured health care providers were selected by Professional Research Services (PRS), which conducted an online peer review survey of professionals in Arlington County, Fairfax County, the City of Falls Church and the City of Alexandria. Additional analysis was conducted (refer to the lists for additional details), and it’s worth noting that Arlington Magazine was not involved in the selection process.
Shifting to another group of impressive individuals, this issue features our 2026 Extraordinary Teen Award winners. Every February, we create a nomination form and share it with parents, the schools and the communities we serve. All of this year’s nominees were impressive, which made it a real challenge for our editorial staff to select only 10 teens. I think you will agree that this year’s group is as extraordinary as ever, with successful entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, environmentalists and, potentially, a future physician, astronaut and elected official.
On a personal note, it’s been a difficult few weeks for my family. My mom passed away on May 20, 2026. She was 91. My sister and I were blessed to be with her when she died. She was a wonderful mother, and we will miss her dearly.
I hope you find our July/August Health issue to be informative and enjoyable. Thank you for reading Arlington Magazine. If you’re not a subscriber, please consider becoming one. Visit ArlingtonMagazine.com and click “subscribe.” You can also sign up for our email newsletter, which provides fun, useful, community-focused content throughout the week. And as always, we love hearing from you. I can be reached at greg.hamilton@arlingtonmagazine.com. Have a great summer!
Greg Hamilton, Publisher
