12% of Americans have used GLP-1 weight loss drugs

Nearly 12% of Americans have used GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, including about one-fifth of women aged 50 to 64, according to report from the RAND Education and Labor division. Surveying a representative sample of 8,793 Americans, the researchers found that 11.8% have used GLP-1 agonists and 14% say they are interested in using the drugs. Meanwhile, 74% say they do not plan to take the medications.

The use of GLP-1 medications has increased sharply in recent years since studies demonstrated the drugs can help people significantly aid weight loss. Since 2020, the number of prescriptions for the drugs has more than tripled. RAND researchers surveyed 8,793 adults of the RAND American Life Panel to ask about use of GLP-1 drugs and their experiences with side effects. The survey was performed during April and May of 2025.

The researchers asked participants: ‘Are you currently taking or have you ever taken one of these drugs to lose weight or treat a chronic condition such as diabetes or heart disease?" Panel members were given three response options: (1) "Yes, I have taken them at least once"; (2) "No, but I am interested in taking them"; and (3) "No, and I do not plan to take them.’ In total,11.8 percent of adults reported using GLP-1 agonists in 2025, about the same percentage of users reported in 2023 by KFF, suggesting that the overall rates of use in the population have held steady over the past two years. However, 14 percent of survey respondents expressed an interest in taking GLP-1 agonists, the remaining 72.4 percent had not taken them.

The results, shown in Figure 1, highlight that women tend to use GLP-1 drugs at higher rates than men, although there is considerable variability within age groups. Use of GLP-1 drugs is most common among those between the ages of 50 and 64, with the highest rate of use found among women in the age group. Among those 65 and older, use of GLP-1 drugs is somewhat higher for men than for women. Conversely, among those between the ages of 30 and 49, women are more than twice as likely to have used a GLP-1 than their male peers.

Among those who have used GLP-1 drugs, about half report they have experienced nausea and about one-third experienced diarrhoea, the two most-common side effects associated with the medications (Figure 2). Additionally, about one-fifth of adults who use GLP-1 agonists reported having experienced vomiting. The majority of those who reported having side effects noted that they are mild and not serious.

RAND is a non-profit, nonpartisan research organisation that provides leaders with the information they need to make evidence-based decisions.

To access the report, ‘New Weight Loss Drugs: GLP-1 Agonist Use and Side Effects in the United States’, please click here