The Information Survey: More Than Half of Respondents Take a GLP-1
It’s not exactly news that Ozempic, Wegovy and other GLP-1 drugs are catching on, with some surveys showing nearly 12% of Americans have used the weight loss medications. The Information’s audience seems to be even more gung-ho about taking GLP-1s than the broader population.
More than 50% of the respondents to our recent survey on the topic said they’re currently on a GLP-1 and an additional 4% said they had taken one of the drugs in the past. Those are eye-popping figures that likely reflect the fact that many people in and around Silicon Valley are more affluent than the general population, which makes them less sensitive to the out-of-pocket expense of GLP-1 drugs. And techies also tend to be enthusiastic early adopters of new wellness trends (see our related story here).
It’s possible that people taking the drugs were more inclined to participate in this survey, since they clearly have an interest in the topic. More than 930 people responded to The Information’s survey question about whether they’re taking a GLP-1. The respondents included a mix of subscribers to The Information and non-subscribers who have signed up to receive email alerts for our news articles.
Of those respondents who are currently taking a GLP-1, weight loss is by far the primary motivation for doing so, followed by other goals like disease prevention and anti-inflammatory benefits.
A significant number of respondents to the survey also said they have taken non-standard, low doses of GLP-1s. This practice, known as microdosing, has caught on among people who believe it’s an effective way to avoid negative side-effects from the drugs, such as nausea.
More than half of respondents to our survey said they’re experiencing negative side effects from taking the drug.
And for those respondents who told us they aren’t taking a GLP-1, three-quarters said they’ve thought about doing so in the past. Clearly, the drugs have penetrated the minds of The Information’s audience, even if they’re not actually taking them.
