Obesity Rates in the U.S. Drop for the First Time in a Decade, ‘Proliferation’ of Ozempic May Be a Reason

Mar. 15, 2025

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For the first time in a decade, rates ofadult obesityin the United States have dropped, a new study has found.The study followed nearly 17 million people, the majority of whom were in the 26-75 age range, and found that after climbing steadily since 2013, rates of obesity in the U.S. fell 0.15% in 2023, according to a research letter published in theJournal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)on Dec. 13.And while 0.15% might seem like a marginal drop, study author Benjamin Rader, scientific director at Boston Children’s Hospital, toldUSA Today,“On the percentage level, the decrease appears quite small … but when you actually look at the population, what that translates to is hundreds of thousands of people who were in an obese category and are no longer in that category.”Stock image of someone working out.Getty“The population impact, we think, is quite big,” he says.The authors acknowledge that usingBody Mass Index (BMI), a historically flawed way to measure obesity, is “imperfect” and “future studies should investigate alternative body composition measures and potential causes for the observed shifts, including GLP-1RA proliferation (eg, out-of-pocket purchases) orpandemic-associateddemographic and behavior changes.”The most notable decrease in obesity was in the South, the study says, noting that that’s the area with “the highest observed per capita GLP-1RA dispensing rate.”Stock image of Ozempic.Steve Christo/Corbis/Corbis/GettyGLP-1A is a reference to semaglutide, which works in the brain to impact satiety. It’s the active ingredient inOzempic(prescription medication for type 2 diabetes) and Wegovy (prescription medication for clinical obesity). Arecent studyfound that 6% of adults in the U.S. — or 1 in 8 — have taken the medication.While the decrease is an “encouraging reversal,” the study says “obesity remains a considerable public health concern.“Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

For the first time in a decade, rates ofadult obesityin the United States have dropped, a new study has found.

The study followed nearly 17 million people, the majority of whom were in the 26-75 age range, and found that after climbing steadily since 2013, rates of obesity in the U.S. fell 0.15% in 2023, according to a research letter published in theJournal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)on Dec. 13.

And while 0.15% might seem like a marginal drop, study author Benjamin Rader, scientific director at Boston Children’s Hospital, toldUSA Today,“On the percentage level, the decrease appears quite small … but when you actually look at the population, what that translates to is hundreds of thousands of people who were in an obese category and are no longer in that category.”

Stock image of someone working out.Getty

“The population impact, we think, is quite big,” he says.

The authors acknowledge that usingBody Mass Index (BMI), a historically flawed way to measure obesity, is “imperfect” and “future studies should investigate alternative body composition measures and potential causes for the observed shifts, including GLP-1RA proliferation (eg, out-of-pocket purchases) orpandemic-associateddemographic and behavior changes.”

The most notable decrease in obesity was in the South, the study says, noting that that’s the area with “the highest observed per capita GLP-1RA dispensing rate.”

Stock image of Ozempic.Steve Christo/Corbis/Corbis/Getty

Steve Christo/Corbis/Corbis/Getty

GLP-1A is a reference to semaglutide, which works in the brain to impact satiety. It’s the active ingredient inOzempic(prescription medication for type 2 diabetes) and Wegovy (prescription medication for clinical obesity). Arecent studyfound that 6% of adults in the U.S. — or 1 in 8 — have taken the medication.

While the decrease is an “encouraging reversal,” the study says “obesity remains a considerable public health concern.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

source: people.com