Weight-loss drugs surge in popularity, but many Americans still aren’t using them
byCORY SMITH | The National News Desk
Wed, July 8, 2026 at 6:04 PM
Photo Illustration by Scott Olson/Getty Images, file
(TNND) —A new report from Gallup shows Americans’ use of GLP-1 drugs for weight loss has nearly quadrupled in the last two years
But even with the sharp increase, just 11% of those surveyed by Gallup said they currently use such medications for weight loss
In a country where over 70% of adults are obese or overweight, what’s keeping more people from using GLP-1 weight-loss drugs?
Dr. Vadim Sherman, of Houston Methodist, said these are relatively new medications that experienced supply problems several years ago
The supply issues have been overcome, but the costs to patients remain a key hurdle
“So, widespread adoption is still an issue, mostly due to insurance coverage and cost,” said Sherman, the hospital’s medical director of bariatric and metabolic surgery
Brand-name GLP-1 medications, such as Ozempic or Wegovy, comprise 68% of current usage
There are no generics available yet, but compound versions are offered by some pharmacies. That’s where a pharmacy makes its own version with the drug’s active ingredients
“And now we have all these compounded forms that are competing with the brand-name versions,” Sherman said. “And from an FDA point of view, they can’t guarantee the integrity of those medications.”
Sherman said Ozempic and Wegovy “are literally the same thing, but different names for different indications — Ozempic being for diabetes, Wegovy being for weight loss.”
A similar relationship exists between Zepbound and Mounjaro from another drugmaker. Zepbound is approved for weight loss, while Mounjaro is approved for treating type 2 diabetes
Those drugs, from drugmakers Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, come in a weekly at-home injectable form
An oral GLP-1 drug, Foundayo, is new to the market
The injectables are still more effective than the pill form, Sherman said
Overall, he said GLP-1 drugs are an effective weight-loss tool
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Everybody’s different, and results will vary. But Sherman said people can expect to lose about 5% body weight with diet and exercise alone, about 10% to 15% with just GLP-1 drugs, and 25% to 30% with surgery
“And what we found is that medications, surgery and lifestyle optimization are not silos that we prescribe one at a time,” he said. “We use them all together. So, medications, these ones that are so great right now, have dramatically expanded our ability to help patients. But they’re not a replacement for healthy habits and in some cases not a replacement for surgery either.”
Gallup found that around three-quarters of people who use GLP-1 drugs found them to be either “effective” or “extremely effective” in helping them lose weight
