Young and restless: 37% of Gen Z skipping the gym, going straight to Ozempic

Skip to comments.

Posted on 12/28/2024 3:36:57 AM PST by simpson96

CORONA DEL MAR, Calif. — Is your New Year’s resolution to lose some weight? A new poll finds many people may actually achieve their goals in 2025 — with a little help from their pharmacist. More than a quarter of Americans are planning to turn to GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy to reach their 2025 weight loss goals.

According to researchers with Tebra, who surveyed over 1,000 Americans in November 2024, there’s now a growing acceptance of pharmaceutical interventions for weight management, particularly among younger people.

Specifically, Gen Z is skipping the gym and going straight to the pharmacy, with 37% planning to add these medications to their wellness strategy in the coming year. Women are leading the charge, with 30% intending to use GLP-1 drugs to reach their weight loss goals, compared to 20% of men. On average, women are setting more ambitious weight loss targets, aiming to shed 23 pounds in 2025, while men are looking to lose 19 pounds.

Despite the growing enthusiasm for weight loss shortcuts, the path to accessing these medications remains complicated. Nearly eight in 10 people believe GLP-1 weight loss medications are out of reach for the average person due to their skyrocketing cost. In fact, 64% of those interested in using these medications cite high costs as their main concern, followed by worries about potential side-effects (59%).

For those who have already taken the plunge, the results appear to justify the costs. An overwhelming 86% of current GLP-1 users report that the health risks are worth the results they’re seeing. This satisfaction may explain why 66% of Americans now believe these medications are more effective than traditional weight loss routes like diet and exercise.

Baby boomers show the strongest confidence in these drugs’ effectiveness, with 72% believing they outperform traditional methods, followed by Gen X at 70%, millennials at 64%, and Gen Z at 58%. The gender gap is even more pronounced, with 75% of women believing in the superior effectiveness of GLP-1 medications compared to 53% of men.

Despite the growing trust in popular weight loss drugs, nearly one in four current users are taking these medications without a doctor’s oversight, raising questions about safety and proper usage. This statistic becomes particularly alarming when you consider that 41% of Americans are uncertain about the long-term effectiveness of these drugs, and 39% worry about developing an addiction to them.

The timing of this shift toward pharmaceutical weight loss solutions may not be coincidental. The survey reveals that nearly half (49%) of Americans have previously abandoned their New Year’s resolution wellness goals, with 31% giving up as early as February. This history of frustration with traditional approaches might explain the growing openness to medical shortcuts for weight loss.

Access remains the biggest barrier, however, as 23% of respondents feel excluded from using these medications due to accessibility issues. This challenge, combined with concerns about rising prices and proper medical guidance, suggests that while GLP-1 drugs are reshaping the world of weight loss, Americans are finding just as many problems getting their goals off the ground.

Click here: to donate by Credit Card

Or here: to donate by PayPal

Or by mail to: Free Republic, LLC - PO Box 9771 - Fresno, CA 93794

Thank you very much and God bless you.

1 posted on 12/28/2024 3:36:57 AM PST by simpson96

To: simpson96

2 posted on 12/28/2024 3:41:01 AM PST by rarestia (“A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.” -Hamilton)

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson