America is one of the ten fattest countries in the world, but it has stopped getting fatter, due to weight loss drugs.
“Gallup polling finds that self-reported obesity in the US has been falling since 2022, an encouraging finding that is broadly consistent with CDC data showing a small recent dip in measured obesity rates,” notes The Doomslayer.
Gallup adds:
After peaking at a record high of 39.9% in 2022, the U.S. adult obesity rate has gradually declined to 37.0% in 2025. This is a statistically meaningful decrease representing an estimated 7.6 million fewer obese adults compared with three years ago. Meanwhile, diagnoses of diabetes — a lifetime disease that can be managed but not cured — have now reached an all-time high of 13.8%. Both metrics are part of the ongoing Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index…
The most recent results are based on combined data from three nationally representative surveys of 16,946 U.S. adults interviewed by web in the first three quarters of 2025 using the probability-based Gallup Panel. Gallup uses respondents’ self-reported height and weight to calculate body mass index (BMI) and subsequent weight classes. A ‘vanity effect’ in how respondents present themselves may explain why Gallup’s obesity estimates are typically somewhat lower than those obtained from studies that use randomized clinical measurements. However, because Gallup’s method of collecting self-reported weight and height has been consistent, the trend still provides valuable information regarding changes over time.
As The Economist notes, weight-loss drugs appear to be the reason obesity has finally stopped increasing.
We have known for several years from clinical trials that Ozempic, Wegovy and the new generation of diabetes and weight loss drugs produce large and sustained reductions in body weight. Now with mass public usage taking off — one in eight US adults have used the drugs, with 6 per cent current users — the results may be showing up at the population level.While we can’t be certain that the new generation of drugs are behind this reversal, it is highly likely. For one, the decline is steepest among college graduates, the group most likely to be using them….almost by magic, these new drugs remove the requirement for superhuman willpower, making us feel fuller, reducing our appetite and alleviating cravings.
Ozempic may be helpful not just in fighting obesity and diabetes, but also in slowing the effects of Alzheimer’s disease.
The Washington Post’s Catherine Rampell notes that Ozempic will also have a big effect on the economy: “With adult obesity rates falling last year for the first time in more than a decade, drugs such as Ozempic and Zepbound are already reshaping Americans’ waistlines. Now, they’re poised to reshape the entire economy, too.” By last May, 1 in 8 American adults had tried these drugs. Rampell adds, “We’re only just beginning to learn the full universe of effects for this class of drugs. Originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, GLP-1s were soon discovered to be effective in treating obesity and managing weight loss. Now there’s an ever-growing list of other potential uses,” “including for treating heart disease, sleep apnea, Alzheimer’s, substance abuse and maybe even gambling addiction.”
Wegovy is another GLP-1 anti-obesity drug that is having a big impact. “I’m on Wegovy for the rest of my life, but I can show you an entire medicine cabinet full of medications that I no longer have to take,” said Taryn Mitchell, 53, of Greensboro, North Carolina.
Rampell describes 7 key effects of Ozempic, Zepbound, and Wegovy. One is skyrocketing spending on these GLP-1 drugs, which is expected to rise from $40 billion in 2024 to $120 billion in 2030. People are spending billions less on food and alcohol while under the influence of these anti-obesity drugs. Moreover, rapid weight loss has resulted in some people replacing their wardrobes. Airlines are expected to save a large amount of money on fuel once passengers slim down. Life insurers will likely save money and fewer will go broke, given the many causes of mortality associated with obesity. Here are four other major effects of these drugs.
