For the first time in decades Amercia's obesity rate is now falling: In the last year the proportion of obese US adults has slipped from 39.9% to 37%.
And the reason is simple: GLP-1 drugs
Ozempic etc.... The Medical Fix People Actually Use
These GLP1 drugs, not only Ozempic, but many others such as Wegovy and Zepbound is re-writing the public health narrative in the US.
In just one year, usage of these drugs among US adults has more than doubled: to 12.4% by the middle of 2025.
In public health terms this kind of change at this kind of pace is practically unheard of, people are jumping on the simple fact that these drugs work in helping them reduce calorie intake on a massive scale!
The effects
These are alaready visible with significatn reductions in...
- type-2 diabetes
- the number of people being treated for sleep apnoea
- people using cardiology clinics
And on an economic note the healthcare expenditure forcasts are also down, and this isn't trivial because in the US chronic disease are a trillion dollar problem!
RIP Willpower...
There is something just a teeny little bit sad about all of this... that a weekly jab is doing on a mass scale what willpower couldn't - I mean most people who are obese know how to not be obese, but after years of public health broadcasting about diet and exercise, the masses just couldn't bring themselves to willingly put down those doughnuts.
But at the end of the day GLP-1 drugs break a biochemical cycle that willpower alone never could.willpower couldn't and the the people probably don't care for the most part, and the public finances certainly don't !
But will this work long term?
The drug courses are of course meant to be short term, and it remains to be seen how many people can keep the weight off when the drugs stop.
That could of course be a huge problem because America's wider food environment isn't changing - the fast food joints and the advertising surrounding them and the cultural habits are still going to be there!
I mean let's face it, America built Uber Eats, 64-ounce sodas, and 24-hour everything, and that's a pretty unforgiving environment for a post-jab once obese person to deal with!