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By Aliss Higham
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Six percent of all U.S. adults have tried Ozempic or other brand name medications, a new poll found.
According to the poll released by Gallup, 6 percent of all U.S. adults, or 15.5 million, have used or are using an injectable diabetes medication, with 3 percent using it specifically to lose weight. The polling, conducted among 5,577 U.S. adults between March 4 and 9 this year, found that those the ages of 40 and 64 are the most likely to have tried Ozempic or another brand-name version, like Wegovy or Saxenda.
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The popularity of the blood-sugar management medications, typically used in those with diabetes or cardiovascular disease, has skyrocketed since Ozempic was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2017. Ozempic is the name for a specific brand of a semaglutide medication produced by pharmaceutical giant Novo Nordisk, although it has become a catch-all phrase for a variety of similar drugs that are effective at helping with weight loss.
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Women (7 percent) have been using the injectables more than men (5 percent), the survey found. It also found that the majority of current users were doing so for conditions like obesity (71 percent), high blood pressure (53 percent), high cholesterol (46 percent) or diabetes (46 percent).
Almost two-thirds of those who have taken a form of weight-loss drug (64 percent) said they were either "extremely effective" or "effective" at helping them shed weight. Only 11 percent reported the medications to be "not at all effective."
A similar survey conducted by KFF Health this month found that one in eight adults—6 percent—across the U.S. have taken weight-loss injectables.
While Ozempic is not approved for weight-loss purposes, Wegovy, which has a higher amount of the active ingredient semaglutide, was approved for this reason in 2021 and is prescribed to treat individuals living with obesity and other weight-related medical problems.
A 68-week clinical trial published in 2021 found participants taking semaglutide lost an average of 15.3 kg (roughly 34 pounds) over the testing period, compared to the placebo group that lost an average of 2.6 kg (roughly 6 pounds).
The medications have become so popular that various makers have reported shortages. Eli Lilly, which produces Zepbound, told Newsweek that it has experienced an unparalleled surge in demand for our type 2 diabetes and obesity medicines." Various dosage amounts of Wegovy have also been hard to come by in recent months, according to Novo Nordisk.
"The drug companies didn't anticipate how popular these drugs would become," Sue Decotiis, a triple-board-certified medical weight-loss doctor in New York City, previously told Newsweek. "Since they are being used for many issues, like diabetes, heart failure, obesity, this exacerbates the shortages significantly."
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