Phillip, File. But Americans are not as supportive of teens who have obesity using the medications. More U. The popular weight-loss drugs known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which were originally meant to treat diabetes, surged in popularity after the Food and Drug Administration approved them for weight loss in Now, they're all over the place — celebrities, TV advertisements, social media, news media, your neighbor.
Doctors and researchers say the injectable drugs are a effective tools when it comes to treating obesity. The American Medical Association has urged health insurance companies to cover the drugs, and the American Academy of Pediatrics has said that doctors should consider giving the medications to kids 12 and older who are struggling with obesity.
Obesity is classified as a chronic disease that needs medical attention, because it can result from genetics, environmental factors and socioeconomic factors. Anjanette Ewen lost 67 pounds on Mounjaro , and credits that weight loss as the reason she found a cancerous lump on her breast. The year-old from Fort Walton Beach, Florida, who responded to the AP-NORC poll, said she had struggled to lose weight for years because of complications with polycystic ovarian syndrome.
Because of PCOS, which has a common symptom of sudden weight fluctuations, Ewen went from pounds to pounds in eight months. Gitanjali Srivastava, the medical director of obesity medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, said obesity is easier to treat in children than in adults. Without insurance, out-of-pocket costs for the drugs can run hundreds of dollars each time you fill a prescription. Coverage varies under Medicaid, which provides health insurance for low-income Americans.
Some large companies with employees or more and some Medicaid programs are adding coverage. But many other employers and health insurers are scaling back, with some citing treatment costs. Younger adults, though, are a little more open to the use of GLP-1s for teens who aren't dealing with obesity. Hunter reported from Atlanta.
