TABLE 2.
Obesogenic and total prescription medication usea among adults by weight status and therapeutic category, United States, 2015–2018
| Weight statusb | Trend | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Normal weight (BMI < 25), n = 2,792 |
Overweight (BMI 25.0–29.9 kg), n = 3,357 |
Class 1 or 2 obesity (BMI 30.0–39.9), n = 3,402 |
Class 3 obesity (BMI ≥ 40.0), n = 893 |
||
| Anticonvulsants, % (95% CI) | |||||
| Obesogenic | 2.6 (1.9–3.5) | 3.7 (3.0–4.5) | 5.5 (4.4–6.8) | 6.5 (5.0–8.4) | Increasingc |
| Total | 6.1 (4.9–7.5) | 6.6 (5.2–8.2) | 9.1 (7.7–10.5) | 11.4 (8.7–14.6) | Increasingc |
| Proportion obesogenic | 43.0 (32.9–53.5) | 55.6 (48.4–62.6) | 60.9 (52.4–69.0) | 57.4 (39.9–73.6) | Nonsignificant |
| Antidepressants, % (95% CI) | |||||
| Obesogenic | 2.0 (1.2–3.2) | 2.1 (1.3–3.1) | 2.4 (1.7–3.5) | 3.5 (2.1–5.5) | Stable |
| Total | 9.9 (8.4–11.6) | 12.5 (10.8–14.4) | 16.5 (14.1–19.2) | 20.9 (16.4–26.0) | Increasingc |
| Proportion obesogenic | 20.3 (12.6–30.1) | 16.5 (10.8–23.6) | 14.8 (10.1–20.6) | 16.7 (9.7–25.8) | Nonsignificant |
| Antidiabetics, % (95% CI) | |||||
| Obesogenic | 1.8 (1.4–2.4) | 4.8 (3.7–6.1) | 7.8 (6.7–9.1) | 9.6 (7.8–11.8) | Increasingc |
| Total | 3.7 (2.7–4.8) | 8.9 (7.5–10.5)d | 15.0 (13.6–16.6)d,e | 21.0 (17.1–25.5)d,e,f | Increasing |
| Proportion obesogenic | 50.5 (39.8–61.1) | 53.4 (46.6–60.1) | 52.2 (45.5–59.0) | 45.7 (35.5–56.2) | Nonsignificant |
| Anti-inflammatories, % (95% CI) | |||||
| Obesogenic | 1.8 (1.2–2.6) | 1.0 (0.7–1.4) | 1.9 (1.3–2.8) | 1.9 (1.0–3.4) | Nonsignificant |
| Total | 6.0 (4.8–7.4) | 7.4 (6.0–8.9) | 9.9 (8.5–11.4) | 13.6 (9.2–19.2) | Increasingc |
| Proportion obesogenic | 30.6 (20.6–42.0) | 13.9 (9.9–18.7) | 19.5 (13.7–26.4) | 14.3 (6.6–25.7) | Nonsignificant |
| Antipsychotics, % (95% CI) | |||||
| Obesogenic | 0.7 (0.4–1.2) | 0.4 (0.2–0.8) | 1.4 (1.0–1.9) | 2.0 (0.9–3.9) | Increasingc |
| Total | 1.4 (0.9–1.9) | 1.3 (0.9–1.9) | 2.1 (1.5–2.8) | 2.5 (1.3–4.3) | Increasingc |
| Proportion obesogenic | 52.9 (34.1–71.1) | 31.2 (13.9–53.3) | 67.6 (49.4–82.5) | 80.9 (42.9–98.2) | Increasingc |
| Beta-blockers, % (95% CI) | |||||
| Obesogenic | 4.8 (3.7–6.1) | 9.4 (8.3–10.7)d | 11.3 (9.5–13.3)d | 11.1 (8.6–14.0)d | Increasing |
| Total | 6.2 (4.9–7.6) | 11.0 (9.7–12.3)d | 15.0 (13.2–16.9)d,e | 14.4 (11.3–18.1)d,e | Increasing |
| Proportion obesogenic | 77.6 (70.3–83.8) | 86 (80.9–90.1) | 75.4 (68.5–81.4) | 76.8 (65.5–85.9) | Nonsignificant |
| Any medication, % (95% CI)g | |||||
| Obesogenic | 11.5 (9.8–13.4) | 17.6 (15.5–19.8) | 23.9 (21.6–26.3) | 25.6 (21.7–29.8) | Increasing |
| Total | 22.4 (20.4–24.4) | 30.9 (28.0–34.0)d | 41.6 (38.9–44.4)d,e | 47.5 (41.3–53.7)d,e | Increasingc |
| Proportion obesogenic | 47.5 (41.0–54.2) | 54.9 (50.7–59.0) | 55.7 (51.0–60.4) | 51.7 (42.2–61.1) | Nonsignificant |
Note: For each therapeutic class, the prevalence estimates for obesogenic medications include adults who take at least one obesogenic medication and may also take nonobesogenic medications in the same therapeutic class.
Obesogenic and total percentages indicate prevalence of use among the US adult population. Proportion obesogenic indicates the relative proportion within each class.
BMI calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height in meters squared.
Significant linear increase across weight status categories.
Significantly different compared with normal-weight category.
Significantly different compared with overweight category.
Significantly different compared with class 1 or 2 obesity.
Only selected therapeutic classes that contain obesogenic medications.