Rock Health survey series reveals preferences and challenges –

What you should know:

– The obesity epidemic continues to be a major public health concern, with projections predicting that half of all Americans will suffer from weight problems by 2025. While discussions about weight management solutions often focus on healthcare providers and pharmaceutical companies, a new series of surveys sheds light on the experiences and preferences of consumers directly involved in weight management.

– The 2024 Rock Health Weight Care Experience Survey Series The goal was to understand weight loss among overweight and obese adults in the United States. In collaboration with Evidation, a platform that connects millions of people, the survey series involved over ten thousand participants over eight months.

Key exploration areas:

• Approaches to weight loss: How do consumers control their weight?
• Treatment preferences: What methods are preferred for accessing weight loss programs?
• GLP-1 perceptions: What are the main barriers to the use of injectable GLP-1 medications?
• Combine strategies: Are consumers willing to combine different approaches to weight loss?
• Desired support systems: What type of support do consumers most seek in weight management?

Longitudinal approach captures real user experiences

The survey series was conducted longitudinally, meaning participants were interviewed at several points in their weight loss journey. This allowed researchers to capture changes in behavior and activities over time.

Survey methodology breakdown:

Three surveys were conducted between October 2023 and May 2024:

• Survey 1: Focuses on weight history, goals, and previous weight loss methods (150,031 participants).
• Survey 2: Targeted individuals with a history of overweight/obesity and weight loss attempts (31,312 respondents). Explored challenges, care preferences, and detailed insights into GLP-1 and virtual coaching.
• Survey 3: A subset of Survey 2 participants (10,000) completed this survey, focusing on preferred treatment settings, combining weight loss approaches, and prescription oral medications (7,800 respondents).

Survey results: The consumer perspective on weight management

• Active pursuit of weight loss: A significant proportion (62%) of respondents consistently stated that they were actively trying to lose weight throughout the survey.
• Limited satisfaction: Despite continued efforts, only 56% expressed moderate or high satisfaction with the available weight loss methods.
• Objectives not achieved: Over two-thirds (66%) of respondents were unable to lose their desired weight on their last attempt.
• Traditional methods remain popular: Exercise (88%) and diet (84%) were the most commonly used methods for weight control.
• Digital tools are becoming increasingly important: Three-quarters of respondents said they use weight loss apps such as MyFitnessPal or Nutritionix.
• Drug use: A significant proportion (22%) reported taking or having taken oral medications, while 11% reported past or current use of injectable GLP-1 medications.

Consumer preferences regarding access to treatment

Survey 2 examined how consumers perceive weight management appointments. In-person meetings with a familiar doctor was the preferred option (58%). Interestingly, familiarity with the doctor played a significant role in in-person meetings, with only 39% being open to seeing a new doctor. This highlights the importance of trust in the patient-doctor relationship, especially for those who may have had negative experiences in medical settings.

For virtual care, there was no significant difference in openness between new and familiar providers (41% and 40%, respectively), suggesting that established provider relationships may not be as important for virtual weight care.

Interestingly, the survey also found that the majority of virtual weight loss coaching (81%) occurred through platforms such as Noom (31%), WW/WeightWatchers (22%) and Omada (11%).

Obstacles to GLP-1 treatment

While ten percent of respondents expressed interest in trying GLP-1, many reported significant barriers. Nearly half (47%) cited drug costs as the biggest barrier. Even among those who had previously used GLP-1, the high cost often prevented them from continuing treatment (36%).

Insurance coverage adds another layer of complexity. Survey 3 found that 41% of respondents who had previously used GLP-1 were not covered by their health insurance plans. In addition, a significant portion of respondents had to try other weight loss methods before starting GLP-1 (14% from insurers, 25% from doctors).