Brad Watts

Senior Vice President, Global Innovation Policy Center (GIPC), U.S. Chamber of Commerce Not long ago, patients with severe obesity faced a stark choice: major surgery or a lifetime of managing a condition that medicine had largely given up on. Today, that has changed. A new generation of anti-obesity medicines—including GLP-1 therapies—are delivering meaningful, lasting weight loss while reducing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other life-threatening complications.

American medical innovation is a story of lives saved, diseases conquered, and futures restored. It’s about grandparents meeting their grandchildren, entrepreneurs launching second careers, and scientists making discoveries that shape the future.

The holiday season is here—a time for gift-giving and celebrating with family. As you check off your loved ones’ wish lists, remember that counterfeit goods are lurking online and in stores, ready to turn festive cheer into real danger. Criminals exploit the busy shopping season to push fake products that threaten health, safety, and economic security. Counterfeit goods aren’t just knock-offs—they’re real hazards.