Despite heavy marketing, most Americans reject the new weight-loss drugs

A new national survey shows that, despite intense marketing, most Americans do not want the new weight-loss injectables, such as Wegovy and Ozempic. The survey was conducted by Morning Consult for the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, a non-profit organization with more than 17,000 physician members, on Sept. 5, 2024, and included 2,205 adults.

Asked to respond to the statement, “If I wanted to lose weight, I would rather take an injectable weight-loss drug, rather than make a diet change,” only 23% agreed or strongly agreed, while 62% disagreed or strongly disagreed and another 14% said they were not interested because they did not need to lose weight. Among those wanting to lose weight, 73% disagreed or strongly disagreed with the idea of taking a weight-loss injectable.

In addition, most people who begin the drugs discontinue their use, despite the likelihood of weight regain. In August, Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliate Prime Therapeutics reported that fewer than half of users were still using the drugs at six months and fewer than one-third at 12 months. The findings were published in the Journal of Managed Care and Specialty Pharmacy.

“The new findings do not mean that Americans do not want to lose weight; rather, most would prefer to change their eating habits than inject a medication,” said Neal D. Barnard, MD, president of the Physicians Committee. The survey also found that about two-thirds of respondents were interested in plant-based diets. Asked “If a plant-based diet might cause significant weight loss, I would be interested in trying it, at least briefly,” among those who wanted to lose weight, 68% agreed or strongly agreed, while 32% disagreed or strongly disagreed.

Research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that a vegan diet is more effective for weight loss than a Mediterranean diet,. The new study compared the diets head to head in a randomized crossover trial and found that a low-fat vegan diet has better outcomes for weight, body composition, insulin sensitivity, and cholesterol levels, compared with a Mediterranean diet.