More than 1 in 10 Americans have used a GLP-1 drug for weight loss, a new survey by the RAND research group reveals.
About 12% say they’ve tried GLP-1 drugs, like Ozempic, Wegovy or Zepbound, with rates of use highest among people ages 50 to 64, survey results show.
“Of all demographic groups, women between the ages of 50 and 64 had the highest use rate,” wrote the research team led by Robert Bozick, director of RAND Survey Panels. “One in five women, or 20%, reported having ever used GLP-1 agonists.”
Further, many GLP-1 users report side effects like nausea and diarrhea, the survey found.
The report is the most recent and largest survey to date estimating how many Americans have used the revolutionary weight-loss drugs, researchers said.
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs mimic the GLP-1 hormone, which helps control insulin and blood sugar levels, decreases appetite and slows digestion of food.
Since 2020, prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs have more than tripled, researchers said in background notes.
To see how widespread use has become, RAND surveyed 8,793 Americans in April and May.
Along with the 12% who have tried the drugs, another 14% are interested in giving them a go, the survey found.
Meanwhile, three-quarters of Americans (74%) say they don’t plan to try GLP-1 drugs.
Respondents said the most common side effects associated with GLP-1 drugs were:
- Nausea (52%)
- Diarrhea (34%)
- Vomiting (20%)
- Hollowed-out “Ozempic” face (9%)
“The majority of those who reported having side effects noted that they are mild and not serious,” researchers wrote.
Looking at specific age groups, researchers found that nearly 19% of those 50 to 64 had tried a GLP-1 drug, compared to 13% of those 65 and older and 11% of those 30 to 49.
“Among those 65 and older, use of GLP-1 agonists is somewhat higher for men than for women,” researchers wrote. “Conversely, among those between the ages of 30 and 49, women are more than twice as likely to have used a GLP-1 agonist than their male peers.”