Reports have proliferated of late about how Ozempic and another new drug, Wegovy, will change how Americans eat and so help the health of many, many now-overweight people.
Moneyzine.com, for example, recently published Which Industries Could Benefit or Lose The Most Due To Ozempic?
Among its key findings:
- By 2035, an estimated 7% of the entire U.S. population could be on Ozempic.
- The demand for snack and convenience foods could potentially decrease by up to 3%.
- Ozempic usage may result in a $3.5 billion deficit for the alcohol industry.
- Gym memberships have doubled since the advent of Ozempic.
- United Airlines stands to save $80 million annually with the increased use of GLP-1 medications (Lighter-weight passengers mean less fuel consumption, one assumes).
All of that coming with the drugs available only to those in income brackets who can afford them at their current prices.
“In the United States, a month-long supply of Ozempic costs on average of $936, while Wegovy has a list price of $1,349. A price barrier of this scale puts it out of reach for the average American and limits the good that can be done. With obesity costing the public a phenomenal $480.7 billion a year, there could be very real public benefits if these wonder drugs become available to all,” says Jonathan Merry, a personal finance expert at Moneyzine.com, in a. press release the site sent me.
I’m fascinated by reports these drugs actually can decrease our desire to eat. Is that really possible? Would we want that? If you can’t get excited about a great pizza or chocolate cake, what does life become? Even more boring than normal, I’d say.
Americans are always looking for a magic pill that can solve a problem they don’t want to work very hard at solving. Over-eating certainly fits in that category.
I don’t expect these will work out the way optimists are predicting and I see massive possibilities of abuse — can you imagine people with body image issues paying for illegal supplies to become stick-figure thin, for example?
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