Weight loss drugs are bringing down the country's obesity rate, a survey shows

"The obesity rate dropped to 37% of U.S. adults this year, down from a high of 39.9% three years ago, according to the survey. The survey found that the number of Americans taking drugs like semaglutide (which include the brands Ozempic and Wegovy) or tirzepatide (under the brands Zepbound and Mounjaro) for weight loss more than doubled over the past year and a half. That's 12.4% of respondents taking the drugs compared with 5.8% in February 2024, when Gallup first measured it."

"The new treatments are in a class of drugs known as GLP-1 agonists, and this generation of very effective GLP-1 agonists were approved for obesity treatment in the U.S. market in 2021. A watershed GLP-1s, which act on the brain and the body's hormones to help suppress hunger and slow digestion, are considered a watershed in Americans' long struggle to address obesity and related diseases. These diseases have persistently and stubbornly increased through the decades, through 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 a highest ever rate of diabetes at 13.8%. Slow change The survey is one indication that obesity rates may be starting to change, albeit slowly. Since the drugs have come on the market, declines in obesity rates have been higher among those between ages 40 and 64, correlating with a higher reliance on GLP-1 medications for that age group. Use of the medications is highest among those ages 50 to 64, for example, and in that cohort, obesity rates dropped 5.0 points to 42.8%."

Obesity prevalence among U.S. adults dropped to 37%, down from a peak of 39.9% three years earlier. Use of injectable medications such as semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) for weight loss more than doubled to 12.4% from 5.8% since February 2024. These drugs are GLP-1 agonists approved for obesity treatment in 2021 and act on the brain and hormones to suppress hunger and slow digestion. Diabetes prevalence reached 13.8%. Declines in obesity have been larger among people aged 40–64, with ages 50–64 showing a 5.0-point drop to 42.8%. More women use the medications and have experienced greater weight loss than men.

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