Nearly 50% of respondents in recent poll express at least ‘some interest’ in weight-loss medications

A recent poll conducted by the KFF Health Tracking Poll revealed that nearly half of U.S. adults expressed some level of interest in prescription weight loss drugs such as Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro.

In the survey, which was released last Friday, it was found that 45 percent of respondents were either somewhat or very interested in taking a weight loss drug that is deemed both safe and effective. Interestingly, women showed a higher level of interest at 51 percent, as did individuals who have been told by a healthcare professional that they are overweight or obese, with a percentage of 67.

Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro belong to a relatively new class of drugs that were initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes but have gained popularity for their weight loss benefits.

While Wegovy has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for weight loss purposes, Ozempic and Mounjaro have only been approved for diabetes treatment. However, they are commonly prescribed off-label for weight loss.

According to the KFF poll, interest in prescription weight loss medications drops to 23 percent if the drugs have to be administered through routine injections. Presently, all three popular weight loss medications require patients to self-administer regular injections.

Furthermore, if the medications are not covered by insurance or have not been specifically approved by the FDA for weight loss purposes, interest further declines to 16 percent. Interestingly, after learning that weight gain is possible once the medications are discontinued, only 14 percent of respondents remained interested in taking them.

The KFF Health Tracking Poll, which had a margin of error of 3 percentage points, was conducted from July 11-19 and involved 1,327 U.S. adults.