U.S. Market for Obesity Drugs

According to The Obesity Society, In the United States (U.S.), approximately 200 million adults (or a staggering 68% of the adult population) are categorized as being overweight or obese. Obesity—which may be defined as body weight that is much greater than what is considered healthy, due to a high volume of body fat—has become epidemic in the U.S. The condition affects more than 72 million adults in the country (or more than one-third of the adult population), and is a leading cause of diabetes, disability, heart disease, morbidity, and mortality, and rising healthcare utilization and costs. Annually in the U.S., obesity results in nearly 112,000 deaths, and the total estimated healthcare costs for treating obese adults amount to nearly $150 billion.

Indicators of the potential health risks associated with being overweight or obese include the body mass index (BMI), which is a measure of body fat based on adult height and weight, assuming an average body composition. Overweight adults have a BMI of greater than 25 but less than 30; obese adults have a BMI of greater than 30. Morbidly obese people are those who are more than 100 pounds overweight or who have a BMI of greater than 40. A BMI figure does not directly measure the percentage of body fat, and as a result many people, such as athletes, may have a BMI that classifies them as overweight despite the fact that they do not have excess body fat.

Health risk assessment guidelines from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute recommend evaluating other predictors in addition to BMI including:

• risk factors for diseases/disorders associated with obesity such as dietary habits, family history, high blood pressure, or physical inactivity; and,
• waist circumference.

Waist circumference is a common measurement to determine one’s risk for obesity and obesity-related diseases/disorders. According to The Obesity Society, men with a waist measurement exceeding 40 inches and women with a waist measurement exceeding 35 inches are considered at increased risk for obesity and its related conditions. Other methods of estimating body fat and body fat distribution include calculation of the waist-to-hip ratio, measurement of skinfold thickness, and utilization of imaging technologies such as computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and ultrasound.