With just two days left in 2024, it’s time for New Year’s resolutions. For a lot of Americans, those goals for the year ahead include losing some weight, but the way they do it may involve more medication than exercise. According to a new survey, more than a quarter are planning to take a GLP-1 drug, like Ozempic or Wegovy, to shed those pounds in 2025.
The poll of 1,000 U.S. adults finds that more people are accepting pharmaceutical help for weight management, especially younger ones.
- Instead of starting with the gym, more than a third (37%) of Gen Z plan to try meds like Ozempic next year.
- More women are interested than men, as 30% of women say they intend to take a GLP-1 drug in 2025, compared to 20% of men.
- Women’s weight loss goals also tend to be more ambitious than mens’, with women looking to lose an average of 23 pounds next year, while men hope to shed 19 pounds.
- But not everyone who wants to try the weight-loss jab can, as they can be pretty pricey.
- Nearly eight in 10 think the high cost of GLP-1 drugs makes them out of reach for the average person.
- And 64% of those interested in trying the meds say cost is their biggest concern, followed by potential side effects (59%).
- The majority of those who’ve tried it are happy, as 86% of current GLP-1 users report that the health risks are worth the results they’re seeing.
- The thing is, 49% of Americans admit they’ve previously ditched their wellness-related New Year’s resolution, and 31% have given up as early as February.
- So, that may be motivating those who try the meds as a shortcut this year to actually reach their weight loss goal.
Source: Study Finds