Ozempic’s Hidden Toll: New Data Reveals the Dangerous Underside of the GLP-1 Boom

The numbers are staggering. In just six years, the use of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy for weight loss has exploded by nearly 600%. Roughly 4% of all American adults, according to a massive new report from the nonprofit FAIR Health, are now taking these medications. It is a seismic shift in modern medicine, a testament to a powerful new tool in the fight against obesity and diabetes. But beneath the celebratory headlines and viral success stories, a deeper look into the data reveals a much darker and more complex picture. The “wonder drug” boom has a hidden toll, one of displaced treatments, unseen risks, and profound inequity.

Perhaps the most insidious impact of the GLP-1 craze is not what it has created, but what it has destroyed. The new FAIR Health report, based on an analysis of over 51 billion healthcare claims, reveals a shocking trend: as GLP-1 prescriptions have soared, holistic and long-term care has collapsed. The percentage of patients with an obesity diagnosis on a GLP-1 who also received behavioral health services—such as psychotherapy or nutritional counseling—has plummeted from 47.2% in 2019 to just 12.4% in 2024, a staggering 73.7% decrease. This data confirms the rise of a dangerous “magic pill” mentality, where the difficult, necessary work of behavioral change is being displaced by a simple injection. At the same time, bariatric surgery, a proven and often life-saving procedure, has seen a 41.8% decline.

While holistic care is being sidelined, patients are being exposed to severe and under-discussed physical risks. The FAIR Health data reveals an alarming statistic: for non-diabetic patients, the incidence of pancreatitis—a painful and potentially fatal inflammation of the pancreas—increased by over 80 percent in the year after starting a GLP-1 drug. This is compounded by other known risks, including gastroparesis (stomach paralysis), bowel obstruction, and, as noted in previous reports, a surprising increased risk for arthritis, possibly due to the rapid loss of muscle and bone mass. The positive headlines rarely mention that over a third of patients stop taking the drugs within a year, often due to these adverse effects or the prohibitive cost.

The final, cruel irony of the GLP-1 boom is the paradox of its access. The media hype has fueled a chaotic, off-label market primarily serving a commercially insured population, with use among younger adults (ages 18-39) skyrocketing by nearly 588%. This frenzy has led to drug shortages and a dangerous black market of counterfeit products. Yet, for all this chaos, the system is failing on two fronts. First, the patients for whom the drugs are most medically necessary—those with type 2 diabetes and those in marginalized communities—are often the ones who face the greatest barriers to access due to cost and supply issues. Second, the FAIR Health report notes that despite the explosion in prescriptions, over 80% of all patients with a diagnosed weight problem receive no treatment whatsoever—no drugs, no surgery, and no behavioral care.

The promise of GLP-1s is real, but the current reality is one of chaos. The unregulated, hype-driven boom is displacing holistic care, exposing users to serious physical risks, and creating a deeply inequitable system that serves a privileged few while failing the majority. The “wonder drug” narrative is a dangerous fantasy. It is time for a more sober, evidence-based conversation that prioritizes comprehensive patient care over profit and simplistic solutions.