GLP-1 drugs are making a dent in the high obesity rate in the U.S. : Shots

More people are using injectable medications like Wegovy and Zepbound to control their weight, and the high obesity rate in the United States is falling a bit.

Dobrila Vignjevic/Getty Images/iStockphoto

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Dobrila Vignjevic/Getty Images/iStockphoto

The number of people using injectable treatments for obesity is increasing rapidly, leading to a decline in obesity, according to a new survey from the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index.

The obesity rate fell to 37% of American adults this year, from 39.9% three years ago, according to the survey.

The survey found that the number of Americans taking drugs like semaglutide (which includes the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy) or tirzepatide (under the brand names Zepbound and Mounjaro) to lose weight has more than doubled over the past year and a half. That’s 12.4% of respondents taking these medications, up from 5.8% in February 2024, when Gallup first measured it. GLP-1 agonists, as the new treatments are called, were first approved for the treatment of obesity in the US market in 2021.

A turning point

GLP-1, which acts on the brain and body’s hormones to help suppress hunger and slow digestion, is considered a turning point in Americans’ long struggle to combat obesity and related diseases. These diseases have persistently and stubbornly increased over decades, driven by various dietary trends and public health interventions. Indeed, this index — which asked respondents “Has a doctor or nurse ever told you that you have diabetes?” — found the highest rate of diabetes ever recorded at 13.8%.

Slow change

The survey is an indication that obesity rates may be starting to change, albeit slowly. Since the drugs hit the market, the decline in obesity rates has been highest among people aged 40 to 64, correlating with greater reliance on GLP-1 drugs for this age group. For example, medication use is highest among people aged 50 to 64, and in this cohort, obesity rates fell 5.0 points to 42.8%. Likewise, the survey found that more women take these medications, resulting in greater weight loss than men.

Access issues

These medications have been a game changer for obese patients, but access to these medications is still limited. Access is about to become a bigger problem, says Dr. Fatima Cody Stanford, an obesity expert at Harvard University.

“I would say this correlation happened for those who had excellent coverage, but it’s going to be reduced,” she says, noting that many private insurers, including those that cover most of her patients, are stopping covering GLP-1 drugs starting next year. Without coverage, Stanford says, the injections will typically cost patients about $500 a month out of pocket. And as drugmakers work to market potentially less expensive versions of pills, for example, she says that will likely make treatments out of reach for many.