GLP-1 Use Surges as Obesity Diagnoses Climb

Credit: Adobe Stock/New Africa

A new report from FAIR Health, based on over 51 billion commercial health care claims, reveals how diagnoses of overweight and obesity, and the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists medications, have changed significantly between 2019 and 2024. The white paper data highlight a sharp rise in prescriptions, shifting treatment preferences and gaps in care.

Obesity currently affects two in five U.S. adults and significantly raises the risk of conditions like Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and certain cancers. Obesity is defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.

In recent years, a class of medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists has emerged as a new way to treat obesity. These medications mimic a natural hormone that reduces hunger, slows digestion and helps manage blood sugar. Early GLP-1 drugs were developed to treat diabetes, but several — including liraglutide (Saxenda), semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound) — are now approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat obesity directly.

Since 2020, GLP-1 prescriptions have skyrocketed, growing 300% by 2022. By 2024, 12% of adults had tried a GLP-1 drug, and 6% were actively using one. Many people using these drugs do not have Type 2 diabetes, which shows they’re increasingly being used for weight loss and obesity care.

At the same time, bariatric surgery has declined, likely due to the rise in medication use. From 2022 to 2023, GLP-1 drug prescriptions rose more than 100%, while bariatric surgery rates dropped nearly 9%.

Key Findings for Patients:

• Diagnoses of overweight and obesity are increasing
  The number of adults diagnosed with overweight or obesity rose by over 50%, from 10.4% in 2019 to 15.7% in 2024. However, many people living with these conditions may still not be getting a formal diagnosis.
• GLP-1 drug use is surging
  GLP-1 drugs, originally developed for Type 2 diabetes but now also used for weight loss, saw a massive 364% increase in prescriptions. In 2024, 4% of adult patients were taking a GLP-1 medication.
• More people are using GLP-1s for weight loss (not diabetes)
  Patients using GLP-1s for overweight or obesity without diabetes rose from 3.7% to 16.5% of all GLP-1 users. That’s a 344% increase, showing more people are turning to these drugs for weight-related treatment.
• Use among young adults is growing fast
  For adults aged 18 to 39, GLP-1 prescriptions rose by nearly 588% between 2019 and 2024.
• Bariatric surgery is declining
  Fewer people are choosing surgical options. Bariatric surgery rates dropped by nearly 42%.
• GLP-1s are replacing other treatments
  Among patients with overweight or obesity, GLP-1 use (without surgery) jumped from 2.5% to 11.2%.
• Most patients still get no treatment
  In 2024, over 80% of patients diagnosed with overweight or obesity didn’t receive a GLP-1 prescription, behavioral health support or surgery.
• Behavioral health use is down
  Fewer patients on GLP-1s received mental health services over time. In 2019, nearly half (47%) did. By 2024, that number had dropped by 74%.
• Potential side effects noted
  There was an 80% increase in pancreatitis (a serious inflammation of the pancreas) among GLP-1 users without diabetes, from 0.17% to 0.31%.

While this report offers important insights into obesity trends and GLP-1 medication use, there are some limitations patients should know. The findings are based on data with commercial insurance and not every insurer participated, so the results may not be generalizable to certain populations. Additionally, only some insurers provided both medical and prescription claims that could be linked together. This means the data on medications like GLP-1s may not be complete. Lastly, the data have not been peer-reviewed, so results should be interpreted with some caution.