The GLP-1 world

Forget the G-zero world for a minute. Today, we’re looking at the GLP-1 world.

GLP-1 medications, which regulate blood sugar, slow digestion, and, most famously, suppress appetite, are booming. You may know them by their popular brand names: Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Zepbound.

Originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, the drugs became a phenomenon over the past five years as regulators like the US Food and Drug Administration approved them for weight loss. Now, they are reshaping how obesity is treated and creating an enormous new market, expected to reach $200 billion by 2030.

But the GLP-1 boom is far from evenly distributed. In the United States, 74% of adults have heard of the drugs, compared with just 9% in Colombia, as our Graphic Truth shows. Awareness is also high in Canada, at 70%, and across parts of Europe and Australia.

The US is where uptake has been most dramatic. Roughly 11% of American adults now say they are taking GLP-1s for weight loss, up from just 3% in 2024. Research suggests the drugs are contributing to declining obesity rates, and their reach is expected to grow considerably: Around 10 million Americans currently take the drugs, a figure that is projected to hit 25 million by 2030.

But GLP-1s remain expensive, especially for people without insurance coverage in the US, costing around $400 a month for some brands. In one survey of Americans taking the medications, over half said they struggle to afford them either with or without insurance. As demand has surged, President Donald Trump announced a deal last year that would lower the cost of major GLP-1 drugs.

Canada, where roughly 8% of the population are currently taking GLP-1s, is following a path similar to that of the US. In May, Canada became the first G7 country to approve a generic version of the medication, potentially opening the door to cheaper treatment.

GLP-1 use is far lower in Europe. According to ING, it accounts for around 2% of adults across the EU and the UK combined. That divide isn’t simply about demand. It also reflects differences in healthcare systems and attitudes toward treating obesity as a chronic disease rather than a matter of willpower.

In other words, the GLP-1 world is booming, but its global footprint remains starkly uneven.