Louisiana drops a size
The state's obesity rate plunged. The obvious reason is a peptide.
For years, Louisiana sat near the top of a list nobody wants to lead: obesity. But the rise of Ozempic and other GLP-1 drugs is lowering the obesity rate nationwide, and more in Louisiana than in other places, according to data from the Trust for America's Health.
Why it matters: Letting the good times roll meant that Louisiana residents ate too much, creating a health care problem that includes high rates of diabetes. Just like that, a peptide has managed to change the direction of obesity here.
By the numbers:
- 35.6% of Louisiana adults were obese in 2025, down from 39.2% in 2024. That's a 9% drop in just one year.
- The state rate peaked at 40.1% in 2022, then began a slow slide.
- This year's figure is the lowest since 2016, when the latest climb began.
- Nationwide, the number of states with obesity rates above 35% fell from 22 to 19.
The bigger picture: The obesity rate has leveled off across the country. Only two states, Louisiana and West Virginia, saw a statistically significant drop from the year before. Part of that is simple logic: when you start near the top, there's more room to come down.
GLP-1s are doing most of the work. Eleven percent of U.S. adults now take one of the drugs to lose weight, up from 3% in 2024, according to a Gallup survey. The rise of GLP-1s is expected to continue as costs come down and the drugs improve.
The bottom line: A state that has spent years watching its waistline grow is finally seeing it shrink. If the trend holds, the payoff will reach well beyond the numbers, into longer, healthier lives and lower short-term health care costs. Long-term health care costs may not fall significantly because thinner people tend to live longer and incur substantial medical expenses in old age.