The number of people prescribed GLP-1 drugs for weight management has skyrocketed over the past five years, according to new data from FAIR Health.
The report found that just over 2% of adults in the U.S. took a GLP-1 to treat obesity or overweight in 2024, up from just 0.3% in 2019. This is a relative increase of 586.7%, according to the analysts.
The spike was even more stark among individuals who received a prescription but did not have a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. The percent of such adults increased from 0.03% in 2019 to 0.67% in 2019, or 1,960.9%.
The researchers also broke out trends in specific demographics. Among the commercially insured population overall, there was a relative increase of 343.7% in the number of people using GLP-1s for obesity or being overweight. One of the largest leaps was in prescriptions for young adults, or those aged 18 to 39, which jumped by 587.8%.
In tandem with the growth in GLP-1 prescriptions, the study observed a decrease in the number of patients undergoing bariatric surgery to manage their weight. In 2019, 0.12% of adults had a bariatric procedure, while that decreased to 0.07% in 2024.
That represents a proportional decrease of 41.8%.
Along with the general increase in GLP-1 prescriptions, the study also found that use of behavioral health services decreased during the study window. In 2019, 47.2% of people who were prescribed a GLP-1 drug received behavioral healthcare, and that declined to 12.4% in 2024.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends a treatment model for obesity that includes a significant behavioral health component, which can promote behavior change as well as mitigate the increased risk of mental health risks, the study said.
The FAIR Health researchers said they hope findings like this can serve as a springboard for further research into GLP-1 utilization.
Despite large jumps in prescription rates for these products, overall use of GLP-1s, bariatric surgery or behavioral health services to address obesity remains low, signaling that there's still work to be done to reach this population, they said.
"The findings in this report have implications for stakeholders across the healthcare spectrum, especially patients with a diagnosis of overweight or obesity and patients prescribed GLP-1 drugs," they wrote. "The study is also important for the providers who care for these patients, as well as payers and policymakers."