GLP‑1 Use Doubles
- A new Gallup index shows use of GLP‑1 receptor agonists for weight loss has more than doubled since early 2024. (patientcareonline.com) - The same report notes about 7.6 million fewer U.S. adults qualified as obese in 2025, linked to rising GLP‑1 uptake. (patientcareonline.com) - Regulators approved Eli Lilly’s oral GLP‑1 pill Foundayo in early April, and experts warn users may need to protect bone health while on GLP‑1s. (finance.yahoo.com) (self.com)
Use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss in the U.S. more than doubled between early 2024 and 2025 as the adult obesity rate fell to 37%. (patientcareonline.com) Gallup’s 2025 National Health and Well-Being Index put self-reported obesity at 37.0%, down from 39.9% in 2022, 38.4% in 2023 and 37.5% in 2024. Gallup said that decline equals about 7.6 million fewer U.S. adults meeting the obesity threshold. (gallup.com) (thehill.com) The same Gallup data found 8% of U.S. adults said they had used a glucagon-like peptide-1 drug for weight loss in 2025, up from 3% in March 2024. Those medicines include injectable brands such as Wegovy and Zepbound that curb appetite and slow stomach emptying. (patientcareonline.com) GLP-1 drugs mimic a gut hormone that signals fullness, which is why they moved from diabetes treatment into obesity care. The shift accelerated again on April 1, 2026, when the Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly’s oral drug Foundayo, orforglipron, for adults with obesity or overweight with weight-related medical problems. (fda.gov) (investor.lilly.com) Lilly said Foundayo is the only GLP-1 pill for weight loss that can be taken without food or water restrictions and that shipping began after April 6 through LillyDirect and retail pharmacies. Lilly also said adults on the highest dose in the ATTAIN-1 trial lost an average of 27 pounds. (investor.lilly.com) (prnewswire.com) Doctors are also watching what rapid weight loss can do to muscle and bone. A 52-week randomized trial in adults with increased fracture risk found semaglutide raised a marker of bone resorption and did not increase bone formation versus placebo. (thelancet.com) (clinicaltrials.gov) In that trial, hip bone mineral density fell in the semaglutide group, and the researchers said the change may be explained by accompanying weight loss. Consumer health coverage this month has reflected the same concern, with specialists advising resistance training and adequate protein, calcium and vitamin D while patients are on GLP-1 therapy. (thelancet.com) (health.yahoo.com) Gallup’s figures are self-reported, so they do not prove the drugs alone caused the obesity decline. But the numbers show how quickly obesity treatment is moving from weekly injections toward broader use, including pills, as regulators, drugmakers and clinicians race to define the next phase of care. (patientcareonline.com) (fda.gov)
