By Bill Knudson
GLP-1 drugs are a class of medications that were originally designed to treat type 2 diabetes but are increasingly being used to treat obesity (Cleveland Clinic). These drugs have only been approved by the FDA since 2005 and are becoming more popular every year. In a 2025 survey conducted by Gallup, 12.4 percent of the respondents used a GLP-1 drug, up from 5.8 percent in 2024 (Noguchi). If the survey accurately reflects the U.S. population, one in eight adults uses a GLP-1 medication. From 2022 through 2025, the obesity rate declined from 39.9 percent of the population to 37.0 percent (Noguchi). According to Sonar, a freight rate and market data platform, the reduction in food demand has led to 850,000 to 1 million fewer truckloads of food and could be as high as 2.5 million to 3 million fewer truckloads per year by 2031.
Most of these drugs are injected by the patient, but pills are being developed. A GLP-1 pill called Foundayo is available through Amazon (Beaton). It is estimated that pharmaceutical firms have more than 80 drugs in trials (Fisher). GLP-1 drugs increase the amount of insulin production and reduces blood sugar levels. These drugs also slow stomach emptying and affects areas of the brain that trigger hunger (Cleveland Clinic, Mullally). As a result, these drugs reduce hunger and cravings and reduce the amount of food a person using these drugs consumes. This, in turn, allows a typical user of these drugs to lose weight. However, most people gain weight when they stop taking the medication, therefore these medications are long-term medications (Mullally) that may require a lifetime of treatment.
As a result of this, the FDA has approved the use of these drugs to treat obesity. This improves the user’s health in a number of ways including lower blood pressure, lower cholesterol, improved liver function, and reducing the risk of heart and kidney disease (Cleveland Clinic). The most common negative side effects are nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea although these effects usually decrease over time as the body adjusts to the GLP-1 medication (Cleveland Clinic).
Source : msu.edu