The healthcare landscape for obesity treatment is evolving rapidly. The approval of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists for chronic weight management has captured public attention and generated significant employer and payer consideration. Although media coverage often positions GLP-1s as transformative for weight loss, definitive long-term data from real-world experience with cost-effectiveness assessments remains nascent when they are used to treat obesity.

With this evolving landscape, payers are increasingly fielding requests and analyzing the pros/cons of covering obesity treatment as part of their employee health insurance or benefits programs. This white paper, commissioned by Vivus, quantifies healthcare utilization metrics for individuals using obesity-related treatments and highlights employer views on obesity treatment coverage, economic impact, and workforce wellbeing. Our research suggests that comprehensive obesity management may contribute to reduced acute care utilization and lower utilization for non-obesity-related brand drugs, but these potential benefits must be balanced against the costs associated with pharmacologic options and an unknown impact on long-term healthcare costs.

This report was commissioned by Vivus.