According to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), one in seven adults in the United States say they have been prescribed a weight-loss medication.
According to KFF, nearly 60% of adults surveyed said they were trying to lose weight. Even a quarter of those who were not trying to lose weight said they would try a weight-loss prescription if it were safe and effective.
People who are overweight or obese have expressed particular interest in weight loss drugs. (Source: AFP) |
The KFF survey found that people who had recently been diagnosed with overweight or obesity by their doctors or other health care professionals, along with those trying to lose more than 20 pounds, expressed particular interest in weight-loss medications.
Women were more likely than men to be interested in taking weight-loss drugs, with 51% of women saying they would consider taking them, compared to 38% of men. Nearly a quarter of adults said they would still be interested even if weight-loss drugs required regular injections.
One in seven respondents said they would still be interested in taking weight-loss drugs if they knew they would gain the weight back when they stopped taking them.
Additionally, about 1 in 6 people would continue to use the drug even if it wasn't covered by insurance or wasn't approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a weight-loss drug.
Also according to the KFF poll, more than half of adults surveyed said insurance should cover the cost of weight-loss drugs for anyone who wants to lose weight, and about 80% said insurance should cover the cost of drugs for people who are overweight or obese.
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