Nutrition/Obesity
Prevalence of U.S. adults eligible for FDA-approved obesity medications using bias-corrected BMI, BRFSS 2023 Lixia Zhao* Lixia Zhao Zhao Zhao Zhao Zhao Zhao Zhao Zhao Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Background Obesity is a complex disease associated with multiple chronic conditions, including heart disease and some cancers, two leading causes of death. Several GLP-1 based medications are approved as adjuncts to diet and physical activity for weight management among individuals with obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m²) or BMI≥27 with a weight-related health condition. Little is known about the characteristics and prevalence of U.S. adults meeting these criteria.
Methods Using 2023 data from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we adjusted self-reported BMI using a validated bias-correction method and estimated the age-standardized prevalence of U.S. adults eligible (BMI≥30 or BMI≥27 with a weight-related, diagnosed health condition) for obesity medications (OMs). Estimates were calculated overall and stratified by sociodemographic characteristics. We used t-tests to compare prevalence estimates within subgroups.
Results Among 385,028 survey participants, 50.7% of adults were eligible for OMs in 2023. Eligibility varied significantly by age group, ranging from 38.8% (18–34 years) to 59.7% (50–64 years, P <0.01). The prevalence of eligibility decreased with higher education and household income. By employment status, self-employed adults had the lowest prevalence of eligibility (46.3%, 95% CI [45.1, 47.5]), while retired individuals had the highest (53.4% [48.1, 58.6]). Rural adults had a significantly higher prevalence of eligibility (55.6%) compared to urban adults (49.9%, P <0.01). Eligibility also differed by race/ethnicity, healthcare provider, payer type, and geographic region.
Conclusions Approximately half of U.S. adults were eligible for obesity medications, as an adjunct to lifestyle management, with substantial variations across subgroups. Awareness of these differences is important for decision makers and healthcare providers to allocate resources effectively and prioritize delivering interventions and treatments to high-risk populations.