Women approaching menopause drive GLP-1 boom
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Women are being prescribed GLP-1 weight-loss drugs at higher rates than men, new data shows.
Why it matters: This is another cultural moment when women, especially those approaching menopause, are paying more for their well-being.
Between the lines: GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Mounjaro are usually covered by insurance when used to treat Type 2 diabetes — but many doctors also prescribe them off-label for overweight and obesity, which often isn't covered.
By the numbers: Women have been prescribed GLP-1 drugs at higher rates than men since 2021, according to 2024 data from FAIR Health.
- The fine print: The data reflects insured adults who received medical care nationally, but doesn't include people buying non-FDA-approved versions of the drugs from compounding pharmacies.
Zoom in: 18.6% of women prescribed GLP-1 drugs received them for weight loss (and not diabetes) — double the rate of men, at 9.3% — according to FAIR Health.
- Women between 40 and 64 have been the top recipients of GLP-1 prescriptions since 2019. For men, the top users in most years have been seniors.
What we're hearing: "In my experience, thus far, it's been entirely women" — many of them approaching menopause — who ask to be on GLP-1 drugs to lose weight, says family physician Beth Oller, who practices in rural Kansas.
- At a certain age, "the things you used to do for weight loss aren't cutting it anymore," says Oller, who's 45 and tells Axios she has firsthand experience with this.
- "Your body is distributing fat in a different way than before," and even hormone replacement therapy "doesn't take the rest of our tissues and our bodies back to being 20," she says. "It's rough."
- Meanwhile, "men tend to lose more weight than women through lifestyle interventions alone," says Jamil Alkhaddo, medical director of WeightWatchers.
What we're watching: Whether insurance companies offer more GLP-1 coverage for patients with conditions like obstructive sleep apnea, after the FDA approved Zepbound for that use.
