The skyrocketing popularity of weight-loss drugs like Wegovy, one of a class of drugs called GLP-1s, is fast becoming a state budgetary concern. In deciding whether to cover the medications, policymakers must choose between the long-term benefits of reducing obesity among public employees and their families—which could cut spending on the treatment of chronic diseases—and the short-term costs.

Some outcomes, like reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and increased chance of nausea, were expected. But others took researchers by surprise.

About 140,400 obese patients in Massachusetts were prescribed medications like Wegovy and Zepbound in 2024, a 255 percent increase from 2023, according to a Globe analysis of insurance claims data.

If successful, the result could be lower Medicare Part D prices for drugs used to create a variety of conditions, such as cancer, asthma, type 2 diabetes and weight loss - Ozempic, Rybelsus and Wegovy. Austedo and Austedo XR, used to treat Huntington’s disease.

The weight loss market is evolving at an unprecedented rate with the advancements in anti-obesity medications, and 2025 will be another remarkable year in this journey.

"All these years I thought that thin people -- those people -- just had more willpower," Winfrey said on her podcast.

Oprah Winfrey shared that weight-loss medications like Ozempic and Wegovy helped her understand the challenges of being thin. After losing nearly 50 pounds, she emphasized that these drugs assist in managing cravings and support a healthier lifestyle amidst her struggles with weight.

Oprah Winfrey says taking a GLP-1 drug such as Ozempic and Wegovy has changed her entire perspective on “thin people.” The media icon, 70, took to her podcast last week to share her experience with an undisclosed type of GLP-1 drug that she began taking in 2023.