1 in 10 Korean Adults Have Used Obesity Treatments... 16.5% for Gen Z

It was found that 1 in 10 adults in South Korea have been prescribed or used obesity treatments such as Wegovy and Mounjaro over the past year.

According to the "2026 Korea Wellness Report" released by the KB Financial Group Management Research Institute, 10.3% of respondents stated that they had been prescribed or used glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist obesity treatments within the past year.

This report was compiled based on online and mobile survey results from 2,000 men and women aged 25 to 69 living in major cities, conducted from July 21 to August 5.

The survey subjects were adults engaged in independent economic activities, including retirees.

Looking at the rates of prescription and use of obesity treatments by generation, Generation Z, born from 1995 onward, recorded the highest at 16.5%, followed by Millennials at 14.2%, Generation X at 7.7%, and Baby Boomers at 2.9%.

Men (11.6%) showed a higher rate of prescription and use experience than women (9.0%).

On the other hand, more women (83.1%) than men (73.0%) responded that they had heard of obesity treatments.

The proportion of respondents who stated they intend to use obesity treatments in the future if conditions permit was 33.9%.

The figure was highest among Generation Z at 39.7%, and the future intention to use among respondents who already had experience with prescriptions and use reached 65.5%.

When respondents who answered "moderate" or higher regarding their intention to use were asked why they would consider using them, they cited "health improvement" (40.4%), "appearance and body shape management" (31.9%), and "appetite control" (20.8%).

In the same question, Generation Z most frequently chose "appearance and body shape management" (48.2%), while Baby Boomers most frequently selected "health improvement" (55.3%), showing a difference.

Meanwhile, 57.3% of all respondents expressed concerns about the side effects of obesity treatments.

The experience rate of utilizing AI to obtain health and medical information was tallied at 46.2%.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.