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Gallup survey finds record share of Americans using GLP-1 drugs for weight loss
The Apex Times

THE APEX TIMES

Politics/The Apex Times/Jul 7, 3:19 PM EDT

Gallup survey finds record share of Americans using GLP-1 drugs for weight loss

A new Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index survey finds 11% of Americans currently take a GLP-1 medication for weight loss, up from 3% in 2024, alongside wider discussion of coverage and prices for the drugs.

3 min readEditor-approved Apex article

A record share of Americans say they are taking GLP-1 medications for weight loss, according to a Gallup survey released Tuesday, part of a growing national conversation about the drugs’ availability, costs, and impact on health trends. The survey, conducted May 28 to June 5 and released as part of Gallup’s National Health and Well-Being Index, found that 11% of adults currently take a GLP-1 drug for weight loss.

The results show a sharp increase over the past two years. Gallup reported that the share of Americans currently taking a GLP-1 for weight loss was 3% in 2024, while an additional 15% of respondents said they had taken the medication for weight loss at some point, an increase of 9 percentage points from the prior measure Gallup cited in its analysis.

Gallup linked the rise in reported use to broader trends in obesity rates, saying declining obesity “points to the wider accessibility of GLP-1 drugs,” while noting that other factors may also be involved. The analysis described the U.S. adult obesity rate as gradually dropping to 36.4% thus far in 2026, down from 39.9% in 2022, the year after Wegovy was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat weight loss.

The survey also placed the GLP-1 usage data alongside diabetes trends, stating that rates of diabetes diagnoses are now steady after rising slowly for 15 years, a pattern Gallup described as concurrent with rising obesity before leveling off. The report noted that reported alignment between GLP-1 use and declining obesity appears across age groups, with the exception of adults aged 65 and older, for whom Gallup said the effectiveness of GLP-1 drugs is lower in past research.

Cost concerns remain a key part of the debate over weight-loss GLP-1s. Gallup said many commercial insurance plans still do not cover GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, but it also reported that increased competition and pricing pressure among drug companies have reduced out-of-pocket costs for some patients. Gallup further said that prices have been falling for Medicare beneficiaries as well, and that some Novo Nordisk drugs were already subject to Medicare price negotiation.

The survey results arrive amid continued government and market changes affecting access to GLP-1 therapies. Coverage and pricing policies differ across insurers and public programs, and recent reporting indicates that coverage changes are driving more patient access, while cost-sharing and eligibility limits still shape who can obtain the drugs.

Gallup’s findings are based on a national poll of more than 5,000 adults and reflect self-reported medication use. The survey does not itself determine why individuals started taking GLP-1s, but Gallup’s analysis frames the increases in current and past use as part of a broader shift in access to weight-loss treatments.

For policymakers and regulators, the practical questions highlighted by the survey center on who can access the drugs and at what price, including whether insurance coverage and Medicare rules continue to expand access while safeguarding supply and appropriate prescribing. The survey’s snapshot of current use is likely to remain a reference point in future discussions over coverage standards and affordability for prescription weight-loss medications.

Why It Matters

  • The survey provides a nationwide measure of adoption of weight-loss GLP-1s, which can inform how insurers and public programs evaluate coverage and reimbursement.
  • Rising self-reported use increases the stakes for affordability and eligibility rules, especially where commercial coverage remains limited.
  • Gallup’s obesity and diabetes trend discussion may affect how health agencies and lawmakers interpret population health changes tied to widely used therapies.
  • Different effects across age groups, including adults aged 65 and older, can influence clinical guidance and payer coverage decisions.

Sources

Key Facts

  • Gallup’s National Health and Well-Being Index survey (fielded May 28 to June 5) found 11% of Americans currently take a GLP-1 medication for weight loss.
  • Gallup reported that the share currently taking a GLP-1 for weight loss was 3% in 2024.
  • Gallup reported that 15% of respondents said they have taken the medication for weight loss at some point, an increase of 9 percentage points.
  • Gallup said the U.S. adult obesity rate has gradually dropped to 36.4% thus far in 2026 from 39.9% in 2022, and said the trend may point to wider accessibility of GLP-1 drugs.
  • Gallup reported that many commercial insurance plans still do not cover GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, but said out-of-pocket costs have declined as competition increased and prices fell.
  • Gallup said prices are falling for Medicare beneficiaries and that some Novo Nordisk drugs were already subject to Medicare price negotiation.
  • Gallup said diabetes diagnosis rates are steady now after rising slowly for 15 years, described as concurrent with rising obesity prior to leveling off.
Gallup survey finds record share of Americans using GLP-1 drugs for weight loss | The Apex Times