Is miracle weight loss drug Ozempic behind first-ever drop in US obesity levels?

The obesity rate in the United States dropped by two per cent between 2020 and 2023, marking the first decrease in decades in a nation that has seen obesity levels soar from under 15 per cent in 1980 to over 40 per cent today.

This national trend was registered at the same time that weight-loss wonder drugs Ozempic and Wegovy, developed and manufactured by the Danish pharmaceutical form Novo Nordisk, became available to the market.

Although the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), does not directly attribute the drop in the US obesity rate to Ozempic and Wegovy, an analysis by the Financial Times indicates that the drugs may have had an impact.

The FT found that the obesity rate registered the biggest decrease among adults with a college education – the group most likely to use the expensive injectables.

Without insurance, Ozempic goes for just under $1,000 a month while Wegovy is even more expensive, costing $1,350 for a four-week supply.

Despite the cost – and thanks to considerable coverage under US private insurance – the drugs have spread like wildfire throughout the US, with an estimated one in every eight adults in the country having tried them.

There are 15 million people currently using a prescription for the drugs, Novo Nordisk said, earlier this year, that approximately 25,000 Americans are starting the drugs every week.

Little information exists about the prevalence of Ozempic and Wegovy in Malta, although an article published earlier this year indicates that the islands have not been immune to the hype.

Users told The Times that use of Ozempic has “exploded” locally, despite costing around €130 per weekly dose.

Ozempic and Wegovy both work by suppressing appetite, although only the latter is formally approved as a weight-loss drug. Ozempic is actually a medication for diabetics, designed to help manage blood sugar levels.