Roughly four in 10 U.S. adults are considered obese, but new data suggest the country may be at a turning point as weight loss drugs become more visible and more widely debated.
According to recent findings from the Pew Research Center, about 40% of Americans ages 20 and older were classified as obese in data from 2021 to 2023. Nearly 10% were considered severely obese. While those numbers remain high, the overall obesity rate fell by about two percentage points from the previous survey period — the first decline of more than one point in decades.
The long-term trend still shows a sharp rise. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, about 23% of U.S. adults were considered obese. That share steadily climbed for decades before the recent dip.
Americans skeptical of willpower alone
Most Americans say weight loss is not simply a matter of self-control.
In a Pew survey conducted in February 2024, 65% of adults said willpower alone is usually not enough for most people to lose weight and keep it off. Just 34% said willpower is usually enough.
Women were more likely than men to hold that view, as were older adults compared with younger ones. Across every age group, however, a majority said willpower by itself typically falls short.
When asked what affects a person’s weight, Americans most often pointed to diet and exercise. Still, at least one in five said factors like stress, genetics, and access to grocery stores play a major role.
Weight loss drugs everywhere
Medications like Ozempic and Wegovy have become hard to miss.
About half of U.S. adults say they hear or read about these drugs extremely or very often, according to a Pew survey from early 2025. Another 27% said they encounter news about them sometimes.
Women, especially those ages 50 and older, were the most likely to say they frequently hear about weight loss drugs.
Public opinion about their use remains cautious. Among Americans who had heard of these medications, 53% said they are good options for people with obesity or weight-related health conditions. Only 12% said they are good options for people who want to lose weight but do not have a related medical condition. Most said they are not good options or were unsure.
Sales surge, coverage lags
Demand for these drugs has exploded.
Novo Nordisk reported $31.1 billion in revenue from Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus in 2024, nearly triple what the company made from those drugs just two years earlier. Similar medications from Eli Lilly, including Mounjaro and Zepbound, also posted sharp sales increases, together accounting for more than a third of the company’s 2024 revenue.
The United States is by far the largest market, accounting for the vast majority of sales.
Access through Medicaid remains limited. As of January, only 13 states cover GLP-1 weight loss drugs for obesity treatment under Medicaid. Several states have restricted or ended coverage in recent years, citing rising costs.
Spending has climbed quickly. Medicaid prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs rose from 1.3 million in 2019 to 8.4 million in 2024, with spending jumping from about $1 billion to $8.6 billion over the same period.
Big picture
The data paint a complex picture. Obesity remains widespread, but rates may be stabilizing. Americans increasingly believe weight loss involves more than personal discipline, even as powerful new medications fuel debate over cost, access, and appropriate use.
As prices fall and availability expands, weight loss drugs appear poised to play a larger role in how the country approaches obesity — even as questions about who should get them and who should pay remain unresolved.
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