For the first time in over a decade, obesity rates in the United States may finally be heading in the right direction and new weight loss drugs like semaglutide could be part of the reason why.
A new study published Friday in the journal, JAMA Health Forum, found that obesity numbers ticked down slightly from 46% in 2022 to 45.6% in 2023. While only a slight decline, this is the first drop recorded in at least a decade.
"What we’re seeing for the first time is that curve is bending and shows a sign of hope for something that was really a threat to American public health for so many years," said study co-author and ABC News contributor John Brownstein.
Brownstein and his team noted that women and adults aged 66 to 75 saw the largest decreases in obesity.
