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Was the recent downturn in the US obesity rate—featured in last week’s progress roundup—due to Ozempic, Mounjaro, and other GLP-1 agonist drugs?
The Financial Times columnist John Burn-Murdoch recently highlighted some evidence supporting that hypothesis. First, GLP-1 agonists have high levels of adoption. One in 8 Americans have tried the drugs, and 6 percent are currently using them—more than enough to shift the national obesity rate. Second, the drop in obesity was greatest among college graduates, who use GLP-1 agonists at higher rates than less educated citizens.
It’s also possible that GLP-1 medications contributed to the recent drop in overdose deaths. There is a steady stream of research showing that GLP-1 agonists can help treat addiction. And, just last week, a study found that diabetes patients prescribed semaglutide had a much lower risk of opioid overdose than those taking other diabetes medications. Obesity is also associated with opioid abuse, meaning there is potentially a significant overlap between those at risk of an overdose and those taking the weight loss drugs.
The long-term impact of GLP-1 agonists on either problem remains highly uncertain. But if the medications really are making a difference at the population level, it would be a historic development in public health. As Burn-Murdoch writes:
“What makes this all the more remarkable is the contrast in mechanisms behind the respective declines in smoking and obesity. The former was eventually achieved through decades of campaigning, public health warnings, tax incentives and bans. With obesity, a single pharmaceutical innovation has done what those same methods have repeatedly failed to do.”
Malcolm Cochran, Digital Communications Manager
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Culture & Tolerance:
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Food & Hunger:
Health & Demographics:
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