Even the Hamburglar didn't see this one coming.

Excessive weight has been a persistent problem in America, where at least one in five adults in each U.S. state is living with obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .

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As obesity rates have risen, so have scientists' efforts to address this serious health issue, which can cause asthma, heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and even some cancers.

Early attempts to treat obesity came to the market as early as the 1930s. Amphetamines were the prevalent treatment in the 1940s and 1950s and demand continued into the 1990s.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, which mimic the action of the naturally occurring hormone GLP-1, have been available for

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