IU, Lilly team up to study weight loss drugs in the workplace
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Researchers from the Fairbanks School of Public Health at IU Indianapolis have launched a study of obesity management medications, commonly called GLP-1s, on both health and workplace outcomes.
Why it matters: Obesity is tied to several health problems, including diabetes, heart disease and more — chronic issues that affect individual well-being and productivity at work.
- Studies have also linked obesity to hundreds of billions of dollars in increased annual medical costs.
Driving the news: The first-of-its-kind five-year study is a collaboration among Fairbanks, Indianapolis-based drug maker Eli Lilly and Co., and area employers.
- "Indiana's adult obesity rate is 37.8%, the seventh highest in the nation," said study co-lead Joshua Vest, associate dean for research and professor of health policy and management at the Fairbanks School. "Employers are facing difficult decisions about how to address the costs and health challenges associated with this trend."
The big picture: The nationwide obesity rate is stalling or even declining, possibly thanks to these new anti-obesity drugs.
- The number of states with adult obesity rates at or above 35% dropped from 23 in 2023 to 19 in 2024, a new report finds, yet remains far higher than just a decade ago.
- It's the first decrease since states began hitting the 35% mark in 2013, according to a new "State of Obesity" report from the nonprofit, nonpartisan Trust for America's Health.
Yes, but: Indiana's obesity rate increased 9% between 2019 and 2024.
State of play: Medications, including Lilly's Zepbound, are quickly changing the landscape and conversation around weight and health.
- Vest told Axios he hopes the Fairbanks study, which will report findings annually, will add "rigorous, valuable scientific evidence" to those conversations — particularly for employers making decisions about health care coverage and benefits.
What's next: The study began recruiting employers earlier this year, but interested Indiana-based employers can still join.
- Contact [email protected] for more information.