{"id":284911,"date":"2026-01-23T15:00:20","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T20:00:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/?post_type=short-read&p=284911"},"modified":"2026-01-23T15:36:34","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T20:36:34","slug":"6-facts-about-obesity-and-weight-loss-drugs-in-the-u-s","status":"publish","type":"short-read","link":"https:\/\/alpha.pewresearch.org\/pewresearch-org\/short-reads\/2026\/01\/23\/6-facts-about-obesity-and-weight-loss-drugs-in-the-u-s\/","title":{"rendered":"6 facts about obesity and weight loss drugs in the U.S."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In recent months, the Trump administration struck a deal with pharmaceutical companies to lower the price<\/a> many Americans pay for popular drugs used for weight loss, such as Ozempic and Wegovy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, these types of medications \u2013 formally known as glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, or GLP-1s \u2013 could become more broadly available in the United States, where obesity affects around four-in-ten adults ages 20 and older.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are six facts about obesity and weight loss in the U.S. and Americans\u2019 views of drugs used for weight loss, drawn from Pew Research Center surveys and other sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About this research<\/summary>\n

This Pew Research Center analysis explores obesity in the United States and Americans\u2019 views of weight loss drugs known as GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why did we do this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pew Research Center conducts high-quality research and analysis to inform the public, journalists and leaders. This analysis builds on a larger body of work that explores Americans\u2019 health and U.S. health care.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about Pew Research Center<\/a> and our research on medicine and health<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did we do this?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This analysis uses data from several sources, including two Center surveys conducted in 2024 and 2025. Details about those surveys, including their field dates, questions and methodologies, can be found at the links in the text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Age-adjusted obesity rates come from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey<\/a>, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC began consistently tracking obesity rates for adults ages 20 and older in 1988. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To determine the share of people who are considered overweight, obese or severely obese, the CDC uses body mass index (BMI) calculated from survey respondents\u2019 self-reported weight and height. A BMI of 25.0 to 29.9 is classified as \u201coverweight,\u201d 30.0 to 39.9 is \u201cobese\u201d and 40.0 or more is \u201cseverely obese.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

BMI can give clinicians and researchers a broad look at a population\u2019s health and is sometimes used as an individual screening tool. But many medical professionals advise that BMI alone is not enough<\/a> to measure a person\u2019s health risks because it doesn\u2019t account for factors like body composition and genetics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We accessed financial statements from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly using the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission\u2019s EDGAR database of corporate filings<\/a>. We analyzed sales of Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus together because all three are based on the active ingredient semaglutide; Mounjaro and Zepbound belong to a similar class of drugs with the active ingredient tirzepatide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Novo Nordisk is a Danish company and reports its financials in Danish kroner. We converted its reported revenues to U.S. dollars at the rate of 1 krone = $0.154, the prevailing exchange rate at the time of analysis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Information on state Medicaid coverage of GLP-1s for obesity comes from a January 2026 report from KFF<\/a>, a nonpartisan research organization focused on health policy.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n

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Share of U.S. adults considered obese down slightly in recent years<\/strong><\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
% of U.S. adults ages 20 and older whose body mass index classifies them as<\/em> obese<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Note: Age-adjusted figures. Those considered obese have a BMI of 30.0 or more. 2019-20 data collection was disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Source: National Center for Health Statistics.<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
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