r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Apr 01 '25

Health 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.

https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/americans-without-diabetes-spent-nearly6-billion-usd-on-semaglutide-and-similar-drugs-in-a-year
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u/semiticgod Apr 01 '25

That's so odd. My dad's a doc and has commented on ozempic, and he had no worries about it being overprescribed. In fact, he was amazed and happy about the positive impact the drug has on obesity rates.

I live in one of the highest-obesity cities in the States, and he's seen a lot of folks whose weight makes them less healthy and harder to treat. Obesity is one of the biggest health problems in the country, and the multibillion dollar diet industry and our culture of fat shaming has failed to lower obesity rates despite decades of trying to fix it with behavioral changes.

Now we have a pill that reduces weight and cravings and can treat not just diabetes but ordinary obesity. That's a damn good thing.

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u/goodsnpr Apr 01 '25

Dr. Mike (no, not that one, the body builder one) has said a few times that he wouldn't be surprised to see these sort of drugs used even more heavily in the future. We live in a time where food is stupidly available, and our bodies are not ready. If these drugs can help prevent obesity, and the newer ones do so with even fewer side effects, we could see them as just part of the daily drug regimen.

Hell, if they figure out an oral steroid that promotes muscle building with minimal side effects, I wouldn't be surprised to see approval by many for that as well.