Prevalence of use and interest in using glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for weight loss: a population study in Great Britain
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Objectives
To assess the prevalence of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1RA) use and interest in using medications for weight loss among adults in Great Britain.
Design
Nationally-representative household survey, January-March 2025.
Setting
Great Britain.
Participants
5,893 adults (≥18y).
Main outcome measures
Participants were asked whether they had used medication in the past year to manage type 2 diabetes (excluding insulin), reduce the risk of heart disease, or support weight loss and, if so, whether they had used five specific GLP1-RAs. Those who had not used medication to support weight loss in the past year were asked how likely they would be to consider doing so in the next year. Estimates were reported stratified by participant characteristics and extrapolated to the national population.
Results
Overall, 2.9% [2.4-3.4%] – ∼1.6 million adults – reported using a GLP-1RA to support weight loss in the past year, with 1.7% [1.4-2.1%] (∼910,000 adults) using them exclusively for this purpose. The majority of those who used them exclusively for weight loss (91.4% [85.6-97.2%]) reported using GLP-1RAs that are licensed for this purpose in Great Britain, most commonly Mounjaro (tirzepatide; 80.2% [71.9-88.6%]). Of those who had not used weight-loss medication in the past year, 6.5% [5.7-7.3%] (∼3.3 million adults) expressed an interest in doing so in the next year. Use and interest were more prevalent among women, people in mid-life, and those reporting past-month psychological distress. Interest was also higher among people facing greater socioeconomic disadvantage, including those in financial difficulty or unemployed due to long-term illness or disability.
Conclusions
In the first quarter of 2025, 4.2 million adults in Great Britain – nearly one in ten – either had recently used a GLP-1RA to support weight loss or were interested in doing so in the near future. A substantial minority reported using a type of GLP-1RA that was not licensed for weight management, suggesting off-label use. Interest was particularly high among less advantaged socioeconomic groups, while use was similar across groups, highlighting the importance of addressing equity in access. These findings underscore the need to monitor who is accessing these medications and to ensure their safe, appropriate, and equitable provision.
Registration
The study protocol and analysis plan were pre-registered on Open Science Framework ( https://osf.io/r2whq/ ).
