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More Americans are turning to diabetes drugs like Ozempic, not for diabetes, but for weight loss. A new study shows that the use of GLP-1 medications among U.S. adults without diabetes more than tripled between 2018 and 2022. In that time, annual spending on these drugs surged from $1.6 billion to $5.8 billion.
GLP-1 drugs, such as Ozempic and Mounjaro, were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes. They work by copying a natural hormone that helps control blood sugar and reduce appetite. Newer versions, like Wegovy and Zepbound, only need to be injected once a week and are now also approved for treating obesity.
By 2022, about 854,000 adults without diabetes had filled at least one prescription for a GLP-1 drug. This group made up 0.4% of U.S. adults, compared to just 0.1% in 2018. Most users without diabetes were women (64%), white (73%), and had an average BMI of 35.7 — which falls into the obese range.
Surveys suggest the actual number of users may be even higher today. A May 2024 poll found that 12% of U.S. adults said they had taken a GLP-1 medication, and nearly a third had heard a lot about these drugs.
The popularity of GLP-1s has led to huge profits for drugmakers. Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, saw its revenue jump to $40.5 billion in 2024. Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro and Zepbound, earned $45 billion that year.
As more people turn to these medications for weight loss, questions remain about their long-term effects and accessibility — but one thing is clear: demand is skyrocketing.
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