1、 itif.org A Shot at a Healthier Future:The Transformative Potential of GLP-1s SANDRA BARBOSU AND NATALIE KHOO|AUGUST 2025 Obesity affects over 42 percent of U.S.adults,costing the nation more than$400 billion annually.Traditional weight-loss methods alone have proved to be insufficient in addressing

2、 this growing public health burden.But GLP-1 receptor agonists now offer the potential to profoundly transform obesity care.Public policies should support their wider adoption.KEY TAKEAWAYS Obesity costs the United States more than$400 billion annually,including$173 billion in health-care expenditur

3、es,as well as significant losses in productivity,wages,and economic output.The indirect costs of obesity ripple across multiple sectorsincluding transportation,food,infrastructure,and emergency servicesfurther compounding its overall economic burden.Prior efforts to reduce the obesity crisis through

4、 advice about dieting and exercise have failed.GLP-1 therapies deliver clinically meaningful weight loss and help reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes,cardiovascular disease,and other chronic conditions.Broad adoption of GLP-1 therapies could reduce long-term health care costs,boost labor force partic

5、ipation,and generate economic benefits across multiple sectors.Key policy priorities include continued support for GLP-1 research,equitable access to these therapies,and incorporating dynamic scoring in CBO modeling to better capture the broader economic impact of obesity reduction.INFORMATION TECHN

6、OLOGY&INNOVATION FOUNDATION|AUGUST 2025 PAGE 2 CONTENTS Key Takeaways.1 Introduction.3 The Scale of the Problem.4 Unhealthy Numbers:The Economic Toll of Obesity.5 Individual Costs of Obesity.5 Healthcare System Costs of Obesity.6 Heavy Losses:Reduced Economic Output.7 Workplace Discrimination and Wa