Expanding access to new, highly effective weight-loss medications could prevent more than 40,000 deaths a year in the United States, according to a new study led by researchers at Yale School of Public Health and the University of Florida. The findings highlight the critical need to remove existing barriers that are hindering people's access to effective weight loss treatments and impeding public health efforts to address the national obesity crisis, the researchers said. According to the U.
S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 74% of Americans are considered overweight, with about 43% of those individuals considered obese. Obesity's widespread impact on health is well-documented.
It exacerbates conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. Yet, despite its severe consequences, the development and deployment of highly effective treatments for obesity have been lacking. Recent advancements in pharmaceutical interventions however, particularly the introduction of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, such as Ozempic and Wegovy, and dual gastric inhibitory polypeptide and GLP-1 (GIP/GLP-1) receptor agonists, such as tirzepatide, have demonstrated substantial efficacy in weight loss.
These medications have shown promise in clinical trials and are increasingly being used for weight management. In conducting their study, the researchers aimed to quantify the potential mortality impact of increased access to these weight.
