Ozempic and similar drugs are having a cultural moment right now, but it appears that plenty of people aren’t on board. National survey data released this week suggests that a majority of Americans aren’t interested in taking these drugs, even if they are looking to lose weight.
The development of Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs has dramatically changed the landscape of obesity treatment in recent years, offering doctors medications that are far more effective at helping people lose weight than diet and exercise alone. The high demand from potential patients has led to shortages of these drugs, however, which has helped fueled a lucrative black and gray market for them. But these new findings indicate that Americans overall are still wary about these drugs, at least on a personal level.
The polling firm Morning Consult conducted the survey, which was commissioned by the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a nonprofit organization of doctors focused on promoting preventive medicine. The group has previously taken a strong stance against fast food chains and unhealthy menu options being allowed in hospitals. The poll involved a nationally representative sample of 2,205 adults who were asked if they agreed or disagreed with this statement: “If I wanted to lose weight, I would rather take an injectable weight–loss drug, rather than make a diet change.”
Overall, 23% agreed or strongly agreed with the sentiment, compared to 62% who disagreed or strongly disagreed, and 14% who said that they did not need to lose weight. When only including the people who might have wanted to lose weight, 73% disagreed with taking these drugs over making a change in diet. Conversely, a slight majority (57%) of participants said they would consider going on a plant-based diet, at least briefly, if it would cause significant weight loss.
“The new findings do not mean that Americans do not want to lose weight; rather, most would prefer to change their eating habits than inject a medication,” said Neal Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee, in a statement from the organization.
Other research has shown that many people taking these drugs don’t take them for long. One study of real world use, for instance, found that only about 40% of people stayed on Ozempic for at least a year. Some of this reluctance to take or stay on these drugs may be due to the common gastrointestinal side-effects that they tend to cause, such as diarrhea or vomiting. But there are likely other factors involved as well. These drugs often aren’t covered by insurance companies and can cost upwards of $1,000 a month without coverage. Recent survey data elsewhere suggests that about 12% of Americans have taken a GLP-1 drug, and about half of these users (54%) reported having trouble affording them.
While these drugs might not be for everyone, their still widespread use could be helping down drive obesity. According to CDC data released last month, the rate of adult obesity (defined as having a body mass index over 30) in the U.S. has finally stopped rising as of late for the first time in about a decade—a pattern break that at least some experts have attributed to the arrival of newer GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic.
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