"Ozempic" and Older Adults: Awareness of & Views on Rx Medications for Weight Management

The majority of older US adults, aged 50 to 80 years, have overweight or obesity and most have tried to lose weight using 1 or more popular strategies, according to recent findings published by the National Poll on Healthy Aging. Many of those who report being overweight also agree that they are in fair or poor health.

Nearly 2 in 3 who report being overweight are interested in taking a prescription (Rx) medication to lose weight but the poll found that many older adults are unaware of the range of medications approved for the purpose. Close to two-thirds (61%) had heard of Ozempic, however, and many reported hearing about the class of drugs through advertising and social media, not from their physician.

The slides that follow highlight the rest of the poll's findings and may offer insights about your older adult population.

Findings are from a nationally representative household survey conducted exclusively by NORC at the University of Chicago for the University of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation. The survey was conducted online and by phone July 17th–August 7th, 2023 with a randomly selected, stratified group of US adults aged 50–80 years (n=2,657). The sample was subsequently weighted to reflect population figures from the US Census Bureau.