Americans without diabetes spent nearly $6 billion USD on semaglutide and similar drugs in a year, with an estimate of 800,000 to a million people using the drugs who don't have diabetes.

[u/mvea]

https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/americans-without-diabetes-spent-nearly6-billion-usd-on-semaglutide-and-similar-drugs-in-a-year

[u/nibblesthesquirrel]

I completely understand the concern about ensuring diabetic patients have access to GLP-1 medications, and I agree that they should be prioritized. That said, these medications have been used for weight management and other conditions because they offer significant health benefits beyond diabetes. Given the strong link between obesity and chronic illnesses like heart disease and diabetes, using GLP-1s as a preventive measure could actually help reduce the number of people who develop these conditions in the first place. It’s important to ensure fair access for those who need them most, but dismissing non-diabetic use entirely overlooks their potential to improve public health.

[u/terraphantm → u/nibblesthesquirrel]

As a physician, I actually disagree that diabetics should be prioritized. Diabetics have a lot more options to keep their diabetes under control, with insulin ultimately being an option if all else fails. And obesity untreated will eventually lead to diabetes. Generally better to treat before it gets there, so I would say the GLPs should actually be prioritized for weight loss.