Almost half in new poll at least 'somewhat interested' in weight-loss drugs

Almost half of U.S. adults in a new poll said they are at least “somewhat interested” in taking prescription weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro.

The KFF Health Tracking Poll released Friday found that 45 percent were somewhat or very interested in taking a “safe and effective” weight loss drug. Interest is higher among women, at 51 percent, as well as those who have had a doctor or health care provider tell them they are overweight or obese, at 67 percent.

Drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro are part of a relatively new class of medications, initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes, that have grown in popularity for their use as weight loss drugs. 

While Wegovy was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for weight loss, Ozempic and Mounjaro have only been approved to treat diabetes. However, they are regularly prescribed off-label for weight loss.

Interest in prescription weight loss medications drops to 23 percent if people are required to take the drug as a routine injection, the KFF poll found. All three popular weight-loss medications currently require patients to self-administer regular injections.

This number drops further to 16 percent if the medications are not covered by insurance or if are not specifically approved by the FDA for weight loss. Only 14 percent are still interested after learning they may gain weight back if they stop using the medications, according to the poll.

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