What Young People Really Think About Ozempic and Weight Loss Drugs
A survey of 753 youth (ages 14-24) reveals widespread familiarity with semaglutide but complex attitudes about weight loss medications influenced by social media and body image concerns.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Youth ages 14-24 show widespread familiarity with semaglutide for weight loss, with complex attitudes influenced by social media, body image concerns, and potential vulnerability to weight-related discourse.
Key Numbers
753 participants, 547 (73%) responded. Average age 20.4. 50.3% female. 73.6% had heard of Ozempic/Wegovy. March 2024 text message poll.
How They Did This
Survey of 753 youth participants (ages 14-24) from the MyVoice national panel, using 5 open-ended questions about weight loss medication awareness and opinions.
Why This Research Matters
Young people are particularly susceptible to social media messaging about body weight. Understanding their attitudes helps design appropriate public health messaging and clinical guidance around these popular drugs.
The Bigger Picture
The cultural impact of GLP-1 drugs extends beyond medicine into youth culture, social media, and body image discourse — with implications for both public health and adolescent wellbeing.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Open-ended survey — responses may not capture the full complexity of youth attitudes. Self-selected panel may not be nationally representative.
Questions This Raises
- ?Is social media coverage of weight loss drugs increasing disordered eating behaviors among youth?
- ?How should clinicians discuss GLP-1 drugs with adolescent patients who request them?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 753 youth surveyed National survey of young people ages 14-24 reveals widespread familiarity with semaglutide and complex attitudes about weight loss medication use
- Evidence Grade:
- Qualitative/mixed-methods survey — provides rich insight into youth perspectives but may not be statistically generalizable.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2025, capturing youth attitudes during peak semaglutide media coverage.
- Original Title:
- Youth Perspectives on the Use of Medications for Weight Loss.
- Published In:
- The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 77(2), 262-268 (2025)
- Authors:
- Peyyety, Vaishnavi, Jankowski, Margaret, Apte, Sarah, Sindelar, Jasmine, Elrajabi, Rawan, Chang, Tammy, Sonneville, Kendrin, Vajravelu, Mary Ellen
- Database ID:
- RPEP-13041
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Are young people trying to get Ozempic for weight loss?
This study found widespread awareness and interest among youth ages 14-24, driven largely by social media. While not all want to use these drugs, the cultural conversation around them is influencing how young people think about weight, body image, and medication.
Should parents be concerned about social media and weight loss drugs?
The study highlights that social media exposure to weight loss drug messaging may increase body dissatisfaction and interest in weight loss medications among vulnerable youth. Open discussions about healthy body image and appropriate medication use are recommended.
Read More on RethinkPeptides
Cite This Study
https://rethinkpeptides.com/research/RPEP-13041APA
Peyyety, Vaishnavi; Jankowski, Margaret; Apte, Sarah; Sindelar, Jasmine; Elrajabi, Rawan; Chang, Tammy; Sonneville, Kendrin; Vajravelu, Mary Ellen. (2025). Youth Perspectives on the Use of Medications for Weight Loss.. The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 77(2), 262-268. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2025.02.011
MLA
Peyyety, Vaishnavi, et al. "Youth Perspectives on the Use of Medications for Weight Loss.." The Journal of adolescent health : official publication of the Society for Adolescent Medicine, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2025.02.011
RethinkPeptides
RethinkPeptides Research Database. "Youth Perspectives on the Use of Medications for Weight Loss..." RPEP-13041. Retrieved from https://rethinkpeptides.com/research/peyyety-2025-youth-perspectives-on-the
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkPeptides research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.