Americans split on using weight loss drugs to treat obesity: Survey

Filip Timotija

31 January 2025 at 5:52 pm·2-min read

Americans are split on using weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy to treat obesity or weight-related conditions, according to a survey published Friday.

The new Associated Press (AP)-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research poll found that 54 percent of respondents said it is a good idea to use weight loss drugs for U.S. adults who want to tackle obesity or similar conditions. Some 17 percent argued it is a “very or somewhat” bad idea while another 28 percent were neutral.

The support for the use of weight loss drugs by those between the age of 12 and 17 was not as high, with 35 percent saying it is a good idea to use them to treat obesity. Around 27 percent of respondents were neutral while another 37 percent argued it is a bad idea, according to the survey.

Americans were largely not supportive of those between the ages of 12 and 17 using weight loss drugs if they are not struggling with obesity or similar conditions. Around 73 percent said it is a “very or somewhat” bad idea to use it at that stage in life if the individual is not battling obesity. Nearly 2 in 10, 19 percent, were neutral while 8 percent were supportive of the idea, according to the poll.

The drugs were approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2021. Some 25 percent of U.S. adults would consider using the drugs without a prescription, according to a study from Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center that was released in September last year.

A Pew Research Center survey from late February last year found that 70 percent of Americans do not think that weight loss drugs will have a big impact on the country’s obesity rate. The obesity rate increased in the last 20 years with 42 percent being slotted as obese in 2024, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The AP-NORC survey was conducted Jan. 9-13 among 1,147 adults. The margin of error was 3.9 percentage points.

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