For years, obesity rates in the United States have been going in one direction: increasing. From the first year of launch, Gallup’s National Health and Well-Being Index The percentage of U.S. adults reporting obesity continues to increase, from 25.5% in 2008 to 39.9% in 2022. The survey captured the final stages of an epidemic that has been unfolding for decades. Estimated Obesity Prevalence It has tripled in the last 60 years.
It’s not that the country hasn’t tried to combat weight gain. But among the $33 billion Americans Spending annually on weight loss products For service to government efforts such as First Lady Michelle Obama; Let’s Move Campaign or Make America Healthy Again, which had little effect. Many doctors and patients believe that the rise in obesity is Although biologically unavoidable,nevertheless serious health risks What comes with it.
But maybe not. Self-reported obesity is starting to decline, according to a recent Gallup poll. Dropped by nearly 3 points This will increase to 37% in 2025. The self-report portion is an important limitation. People’s weight reports tend to be inaccurate. We need more hard evidence from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to be sure, but this is some of the first evidence that America may finally be turning a corner on one of the biggest health crises of modern times.
And the main reason that happens isn’t because weight loss experts have stumbled upon a new diet that always works. This is likely due to the increased use of glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, better known as GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic and Wegovy.
What’s changed is that there are now highly effective weight loss medications that work on a scale we’ve never seen before.
old weight loss drugs There was a tendency to lose only a few percent of body weight, with difficult balance and rapid weight rebound. New drugs originally developed to treat diabetes are targeting the biology that makes it difficult to lose weight and keep it off. That means it reduces hunger in the brain, slows gastric emptying, and improves postprandial insulin signaling. In a large randomized trial, 2.4 mg of semaglutide, the active ingredient used in medicines such as Ozempic, production When combined with basic lifestyle support, an average weight loss of approximately 15% is possible over 68 weeks. different combinations reached At higher doses this increases by up to 20%.
These effect sizes are large enough to identify movements in population data, even if only a small percentage of adults use them. And additional data from Gallup shows that more and more Americans are trying these drugs, with more than 12% of adults reporting taking them in the second and third quarters of 2025, up from less than 6% in early 2024, according to the survey.
And while much of the media coverage of this drug focuses on weight and appearance, the health benefits seem to go much further. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added in 2024 Cardiovascular risk as a reason for prescribing It is based on the GLP-1 drug Wegovy. Results of a large-scale trial This has been shown to lead to fewer heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths in adults who are obese or overweight and have established heart disease. The FDA’s action also Medicare Coverage for Cardiovascular Disease Patients — An early sign that access to these expensive drugs may expand beyond the insured.
Benefits and side effects of downsizing
It’s still early days, but if the nation’s obesity curve continues to bend, the benefits will be enormous. Obesity increases your risk Across almost all leading causes of death; Even small, sustained reductions in prevalence would result in millions fewer people developing diabetes, heart disease, sleep apnea, and painful joint conditions, saving billions of dollars in health care costs over time. CDC peg Direct medical expenses Approximately $173 billion is associated with obesity. Turning that curve just a little bit can provide significant relief.
However, there is still a long way to go to solve this problem. First of all, although this drug is effective, it acts more like a statin than an antibiotic. That means it works as long as you take it. When people stop, Weight gain often comes back.
And GLP-1 comes with serious side effects for some patients. lead to disruption. Scientists also remain unsure about the drug’s long-term effects. May include muscle loss and changes in sexual desire. And don’t forget Four-digit monthly side effects If you have to pay for GLP-1 out of pocket, keep it in your wallet. Obesity is already linked The disparity may be further exacerbated by low socioeconomic status and the inability of GLP-1 to reach all but those with high incomes.
However, the current generation of GLP-1 is likely to be the worst and most expensive we will ever have. Pharmaceutical companies are already experimenting. medicine in pill formThis will make dosing more accurate and reduce barriers to access. About 20% of the American public has some form of needle phobia (Or Phobias, for those who want great Scrabble words).
I admit that I am uncomfortable with the idea of addressing obesity primarily through medication. After all, as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said: likes to talkCan’t obesity be solved with healthier food and more exercise? But our food system can certainly be improved, and most of us not exercising enoughIt’s not that we haven’t tried, either as individuals or as a nation. The simple fact is that the modern environment is: attaches great importance to causing obesity. GLP-1 drugs seem to offer the best chance of tipping the scales in our favor.
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