1 in 5 U.S. adults say they've taken Ozempic or similar drugs, survey finds
Another one in five adults who aren’t using the GLP-1 drugs said they are interested in taking one for weight loss
GettyImages/Tatsiana Volkava
A new survey found that almost 13% of U.S. adults are currently taking a new class of weight loss drug, a six percentage point increase from 18 months ago, while one in five U.S. adults, or 18%, report having ever taken one.
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Another one in five adults who aren’t using the GLP-1 drugs said they are interested in taking one for weight loss.
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The GLP-1 category of drugs, led by Eli Lilly’s Zepbound and Mounjaro and Novo Nordisk’s Ozempic and Wegovy, were only approved in the United States four years ago for the treatment of obesity, but are rapidly becoming the most prescribed drugs. They work by suppressing a gut hormone that controls appetite.
The tracking survey, by the non-profit health policy researcher KFF, also found that 45% of U.S. adults who have been diagnosed with diabetes report currently using a GLP-1 medication, as are 29% who have been diagnosed with heart disease and 23% who report being diagnosed as overweight or obese in the past five years.
The drugs can cost around $1,000 per month before rebates and discounts, and although most GLP-1 users said their insurance covered at least some of the cost, over half reported they were difficult to afford, including one in four who say they were “very difficult” to afford. About a quarter of GLP-1 users report paying the whole cost of the medication themselves.
Across age groups, current GLP-1 use is highest among those ages 50-64 at 22%. Only 9% of adults 65 and older are currently using these drugs, a reflection of Medicare’s lack of coverage for drugs used for weight loss.
The Trump administration recently announced deals with Lilly and Novo Nordisk to lower the prices of some of their weight loss drugs in exchange for partial Medicare coverage, starting in 2026. The White House has also reached deals with other drug companies to lower the prices of some prescription medicines.
The KFF proll found about one in four adults say they or someone living with them had problems paying for prescription drugs in the past 12 months, rising to 41% among uninsured adults, 33% of Hispanic adults, and 32% of Black adults (32%).
The survey was conducted from Oct. 27 to Nov. 2, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.