They are a hit in the United States. According to a study published in September 2025, nearly 12% of Americans have already tried a GLP-1 agonist drug for weight loss. Celebrities no longer hide it: from Kim Kardashian to Elon Musk, including host Oprah Winfrey, many people openly admit to having used it to shed excess weight. In France, their use in the context of obesity is more recent and has become more discreet. “GLP-1 analogues have been authorized in France for the treatment of obesity since 2021, six years after the United States”underlines the Dr Jean-Baptiste Cazauran, digestive and visceral surgeon in Lyon (Rhône), specialized in obesity surgery and treatments with GLP-1 analogues.
Initially prescribed as antidiabetics, these drugs mimic the glucagon-like peptide-1 intestinal hormone (glucagon-like peptide-1 in English, hence its name GLP-1). By acting in particular on the pancreas, GLP-1 analog treatments increase insulin secretion, slow gastric emptying and promote the feeling of satiety.
In France, three molecules are today available for the treatment of obesity: semaglutide, marketed by the Danish laboratory Novo Nordisk through its drug Wegovy; tirzepatide, offered by the American pharmaceutical group Lilly with the Mounjaro treatment; and liraglutide, sold under the Saxenda label and also produced by Novo Nordisk. The first two have been authorized since October 2024, Saxenda since 2021. Concretely, patients administer a daily or weekly injection, depending on the product, with a weight loss of between 15% and 20%.
A “small medical revolution”
These drugs are often presented as a small revolution in the medical field. Until now, the only alternative offered to obese people who were unable to lose weight sustainably was bariatric surgery, a major intervention, with an average loss of 25% of body mass in the long term. “With GLP-1 analogues, we have developed the therapeutic arsenal. It’s a big step”enthuses Jean-Baptiste Cazauran. A craze which can also be explained by the scale of the phenomenon: obesity affects nearly ten million adults in France, or around 18% of the population.
❗ The#obesity “explodes” in France.
18% of the population is now affected, or 10 million inhabitants, compared to 10% 25 years ago.
A new control plan is unveiled on this “public health priority”. ⤵️ @le_Parisien
1/7https://t.co/x9ssx2gteK pic.twitter.com/oOjB0ny4KT— Nicolas Berrod (@nicolasberrod) January 14, 2026
Jean-Luc Faillie, doctor and researcher in medical pharmacology at Montpellier University Hospital (Hérault), however, calls for caution. “To take these medications, it is not enough to have a body mass index (BMI) that exceeds the thresholdhe specifies. “We also need a medical assessment of obesity, combined with nutritional support, physical activity, regular monitoring and, sometimes, psychological support.” Beyond subcutaneous injections, treatment therefore involves significant changes in lifestyle habits.
In June 2025, the prescription of GLP-1 analogues was extended to all doctors, whereas until then it was reserved for endocrinologists, diabetologists and nutritionists. A “very good news in terms of access to care”according to Jean-Luc Faillie, who emphasizes that some patients do not consult specialists. General practitioners therefore find themselves on the front line.
Pharmacies see a surge in demand
However, it remains difficult to estimate the number of French people who use these medications. Not reimbursed by Health Insurance, they escape the systematic collection of data through reimbursements. According to a survey carried out by the American company Iqvia and relayed by Le Monde, which is based on figures from 13,000 French pharmacies (out of around 20,000 in the country), sales of Wegovy boxes almost doubled between February and June 2025, to reach 23,000 units sold. For Mounjaro, the progression is even more spectacular: 3,400 boxes were sold in February 2025, compared to 15,100 four months later in June. More and more patients are passing the test and the trend is now reflected… on social networks.
Since the end of 2024, the accounts of French people – mainly women – who document their daily lives under Wegovy or Mounjaro have been spreading. On TikTok, ordinary users or experienced content creators publish, sometimes daily, videos tagged with hashtags in the name of their treatment or their goals (#weightloss, #onfollowtheplan).
In front of the camera, some proudly announce the pounds lost, others share their feelings or directly discuss the side effects: nausea, bloating, diarrhea, vomiting. Déborah, a 38-year-old teacher who has been morbidly obese for many years, took the plunge in August 2025, when she began her treatment with Mounjaro. “I opened a TikTok account to retrace my journey and illustrate my weight loss in images.”
@delise971 When to go.. #mounjaro #weighloss #lossweight #motivation ♬ original sound – We follow the plan! 💪🏾🙌🏾🍑❤️
Support is organized online
The one who says to herself “paralyzed” by this new medication little by little develops a community of support: subscribers who are going through a similar situation reassure her, congratulate her or give her advice. In six months, Déborah lost 12% of her body mass. She doesn’t plan to stop there: “I take this treatment very seriously, I consult a dietician and I exercise five times a week. I am very involved and I expect results.”
Fanny Jaillet also chose to share her experience on the Chinese social network, when she started taking Wegovy, in November 2024. “By posting on TikTok, I wanted to share my daily life in a transparent way”explains the influencer to 14,900 followers. In eight months, this thirty-year-old lost 34 kilos, before having to temporarily interrupt her treatment due to gallstones. The monetization of his content and several product placements allowed him to earn more than 10,000 euros. A welcome remuneration given the current price of molecules.
@fannycrj A new adventure… #wegovy ♬ original sound – Fanny Jaillet ✨
An alternative reserved for the wealthiest
Because today, the main obstacle to the distribution of these drugs remains their cost: between 200 and 400 euros per month, depending on the molecule and the dosage, without coverage by Health Insurance. “Targeted reimbursement, by prioritizing patients with severe obesity, would make treatment currently reserved for those who can afford it more equal”estimates pharmacologist Jean-Luc Faillie.
The High Authority for Health (HAS) has already given the green light to the reimbursement of Wegovy and Mounjaro under conditions, in particular when the treatment is offered as second-line treatment to an adult patient whose BMI is greater than 35. In an opinion delivered on December 18, 2025, the HAS specified the criteria for prioritizing treatment. The final decision remains in the hands of the Ministry of Health. Beforehand, price negotiations between the Economic Committee for Health Products (CEPS) and the laboratories must take place. Given the public health issues, these discussions promise to be delicate.
Lifelong treatment?
The Dr Jean-Baptiste Cazauran nevertheless appears confident. “I have good hope for our patients that these drugs will be reimbursed in the future. Today, surgeries already are, even though they also represent a high cost.” Especially since, to maintain weight loss, patients must take their treatment for life. A study published on January 7, 2026 in the British Medical Journal concludes that on average, patients return to their initial weight eighteen months after stopping the injections. “By stopping the treatment, the feeling of hunger returnsexplains Jean-Luc Faillie. If eating habits have not been permanently changed, people gain weight again.”
The patients we interviewed, however, do not plan to take these medicinal substances in the long term. If they like not thinking anymore “permanently” to food – which they attribute directly to the molecule – the cost of injections often ends up establishing itself as a decisive limiting factor. “For financial reasons alone, I don’t see myself injecting this product all my life”summarizes Deborah.
Despite persistent inequalities in access, GLP-1 analogues offer a valuable alternative in the management of obesity. But as long as the question of reimbursement by Health Insurance remains unresolved, the promise of these treatments will remain, for many, out of reach… And this, despite their popularity on TikTok.
