As obesity rates rise in the U.S. and worldwide, new weight-loss drugs surge in popularity

Obesity affects roughly 42% of U.S. adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And about two-thirds of Americans (65%) say willpower alone usually isn’t enough for most people who are trying to lose weight and keep it off, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.Put those two facts together, and it should come as no surprise that a new class of drugs to help people lose weight – including Ozempic, Wegovy and similar medications – has soared in popularity. In the Center survey, about three-quarters of Americans say they have heard or read at least a little about these drugs.Over the past three decades, the share of Americans categorized as obese (based on body mass index, or BMI, data from the CDC) has risen considerably.In 2017-18 – the timespan with the most recent data available – about three-quarters of U.S. adults ages 20 and older were considered either overweight (31%) or obese (42%). Just over 9% of adults were considered severely obese. (Note that the CDC survey period spans two years.) About three decades earlier, by comparison, 56% of Americans ages 20 and older were considered overweight or obese, including 3% who were considered severely obese.