A new poll has found that Americans are growing more willing to try weight loss drugs, with 1 in 8 adults saying they’ve taken Ozempic or other GLP-1 agonist medications.
The survey comes from the health policy nonprofit KFF and also found that 12% of respondents say they have taken a GLP-1 agonist, and 6% reported that they were currently using one.
Of those who were using the drugs, 62% said that it was for a chronic condition like diabetes or heart disease, while 38% said they were on them for weight loss.
For the respondents who had diabetes, 4 out of 10 said they used a GLP-1 agonist.
Currently, GLP-1 agonists are used when treating people who have diabetes, obesity, or are at risk of cardiovascular disease-related incidents.
However, there is a growing market for those looking to shed weight, as they are also being used for weight loss after it was discovered the medications were extremely effective at reducing appetite.
The survey found that awareness of the medications was also on the rise, with a third of respondents saying they had heard “a lot” about them, while 27% said they had heard “some.” The main demographic aware of the drugs was older, affluent adults.
Of those who take GLP-1 agonists, 79% reported receiving them from their primary care provider or a specialist, with nearly a quarter saying they got the drugs from an online provider, medical spa, or “somewhere else.”
With the increase in interest in GLP-1 agonists, the Food and Drug Administration has begun reporting a shortage caused by an increased demand.
The KFF survey was conducted from April 23 to May 1 and included responses from 1,479 US adults.