Survey: Most Americans would not take GLP-1 drugs for weight loss

Yet despite the ubiquity of injectable drugs indicated for people with obesity — such as Wegovy (semaglutide), Zepbound (tirzepatide) and Saxenda (liraglutide) — most Americans would not take them, according to a new survey.

The nonprofit Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine teamed up with business intelligence firm Morning Consult to survey more than 2,200 US adults about weight loss methods. The results of the survey, conducted in September, were made public on October 8.

People were asked to rate their level of agreement with the statement: “If I wanted to lose weight, I would rather take an injectable weight-loss drug than make a dietary change.” More than half (62%) disagreed, with 14% reporting that the statement doesn’t apply to them because they don’t need to lose weight. Almost three-quarters (73%) of applicable respondents disagreed.

Among people who were interested in losing weight, these groups disagreed the most:

• Men: 75%
• Baby Boomers: 78%
• Asian or “other”: 77%
• Holders of postgraduate studies: 79%
• Household income exceeds $100,000: 78%
• Urban dwellers: 75%
• Northeast: 77%
• Registered voters: 73%
• Independent voters: 74%

“The new findings don’t mean Americans don’t want to lose weight,” PCRM President Dr. Neal Barnard said in a news release about the survey. “Most would rather change their eating habits than inject themselves with a drug.”

While the results provide a snapshot of public opinion, the question doesn’t capture the nuances of healthy weight loss. A calorie deficit is a critical component of weight loss, but ultimately it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Genes, sleep, stress, hormones, physical activity, and certain medications can affect weight control. Your medical history also plays a role. Additionally, GLP-1s approved for people with obesity are intended for patients who have had difficulty losing weight through other means and are designed to be taken in conjunction with diet and exercise.

Dr. Nisha Patel, medical director of the Obesity Medicine and Metabolic Health Program in the transplant department at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, is working to dispel the myth that taking weight loss drugs is the easy way out.

“People forget that there are some powerful neurohormonal factors at play that make it difficult not only to lose weight, but to keep it off long-term,” Patel previously said. wealth. “The drugs really helped level the playing field. It can help cut off a certain interfering signal.”

That said, adherence to GLP-1 is a problem. According to a research summary published in the August issue of Journal of Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacyapproximately one in three (32%) patients were still on medication after one year. Fewer than that (27%) took the medicine as intended.

The plant-based diet appeals to those who want to lose weight

The PCRM survey also asked people how much they agreed with this statement: “If a plant-based diet could cause significant weight loss, I would be interested in trying it, at least briefly.” More than half (57%) of all respondents agreed, with 17% saying they don’t need to lose weight. More than three in five (68%) respondents who want to lose weight agreed.

Among people who were interested in losing weight, these groups agreed most strongly:

• Women: 70%
• Gen Zers: 81%
• Asian or “other”: 76%
• Holders of university and postgraduate diplomas (tie): 69%
• Household income exceeds $100,000: 70%
• Urban dwellers: 75%
• Northeast: 70%
• Registered voters: 69%
• Democrats: 76%

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