Ozempic and the Obesity Epidemic

Globally, adult obesity has more than doubled since 1990, and adolescent obesity has quadrupled.¹

In Australia, 2 in 3 adults are overweight or obese, totalling approximately 12.5 million people.² The economic impacts of the obesity epidemic are also significant, and if nothing is done to address this health crisis, global costs are predicted to reach 3 trillion USD per year by 2030, and more than 18 trillion USD by 2060.¹

The demand for weight loss products is high, with the prescription weight-loss drug market now a $2.3 billion industry due to the rise of new medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy and Rybelsus.³ Although solely indicated for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM)⁴, viral videos on TikTok and across other media have showcased the rapid weight loss achieved with Ozempic and the rising popularity of these medications.⁵ This has led to an increase in off-label prescribing, with hundreds of thousands of people taking drugs like Ozempic to lose weight.⁶ This increase in demand has resulted in global shortages which the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) predicts will last until 2025.⁵

With obesity being a significant risk factor for all the major non-communicable diseases^7,8 and statistics growing at an alarming rate, urgent interventions are required. However, concerns exist around the safety and potential consequences of relying on Ozempic to address the obesity crisis.