For decades, the obesity rate in the United States has continued to increase, reaching a peak of 39.9% in 2022. But today, new data from Gallup’s National Health and Well-Being Index, relayed by the media Futurism, show that a quantifiable phenomenon has occurred: the trend has reversed and the obesity rate has fallen back to 37% this year.
The report highlights that this is a statistically significant decline representing an estimated 7.6 million fewer obese adults compared to three years ago. It is partly explained by the growing popularity of GLP-1 agonist drugs, such as Ozempic. Popular with diabetics, the latter is marketed by the Novo Nordisk laboratory, and is said to have the effect of reducing appetite and thus leading to a reduction in body mass.
The study estimates that in February 2024, when the institute began collecting data on the use of this class of drugs, 5.8% of Americans were taking them. This figure has now risen to 12.4%.
Researchers believe the number of Americans using these drugs is likely to continue to increase in the coming years, especially as new methods of taking the treatment are being explored. While some are campaigning for their reimbursement, parliamentarians are pleading for a reduction in their prices, which are still high in the United States. Novo Nordisk’s competitors are also entering this market, with similar drugs, sometimes less expensive and just as effective.
A miracle drug?
If this decline continues, the consequences for public health could be major, because obesity is linked to a long list of health risks, from heart and liver disease to diabetes and hypertension. Many premature deaths could be prevented with the democratization of these treatments.
According to the study, expanding access to these treatments could play a key role in assessing the status of the overall decline in obesity in the United States. It is indeed a question of knowing whether this is a lasting trend or a simple plateau, the obesity rate in the United States still remaining very high compared to other Western countries.
However, Ozempic and other similar molecules are not without danger; the relative newness of the drug means that we do not know all of its long-term effects. In 2023, a study from the University of British Columbia in Canada revealed the link between the treatment and severe gastrointestinal conditions: pancreatitis, intestinal obstruction, biliary pathologies or even gastroparesis.
In France, the taking of Ozempic, Wegovy or others is also becoming popular, even if the scale remains much smaller because it is very controlled. Since June, they can be prescribed if doctors consider that other remedies – in particular nutritional and sports management of the patient – have not been effective.
