Which Generation Is Most Likely to Use a GLP-1 for Type 2 Diabetes?

Overall, Gen Z and millennial participants reported more side effects, medication cycling, financial and medication access disruption, and appearance-related changes, as well as a broader need for information. Younger generations also trusted digital and artificial intelligence (AI) platforms for information about GLP-1s and type 2 diabetes more than older generations, the survey suggests. Gen Xers and baby boomers, on the other hand, reported less stigma and more singular experiences with the medications in the survey.

GLP-1 use was highest among millennials, at 55 percent, versus 38 percent of Gen Xers and 35 percent of baby boomers, according to the survey. More than 50 percent of baby boomers had never taken the medications. Meanwhile, Gen Xers were most likely to have never stopped and started a GLP-1 drug, at 45 percent.

The perception of the health consequences of obesity and diabetes appears to vary by generation, says Vance Albaugh, MD, an assistant professor of metabolic surgery at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and a spokesperson for the Obesity Society.

Middle-aged and older patients may have had a friend or family member develop complications from diabetes, such as nerve problems or heart disease, Dr. Albaugh says. Then when they learn they have diabetes, they’re often motivated to take GLP-1s to lose weight. “Younger adults may not yet have witnessed those consequences firsthand and may be more likely to view GLP-1 medications primarily as weight loss drugs, rather than treatments for a chronic metabolic disease,” he says.

Here’s an overview of what the survey found:

In the survey, 78 percent of baby boomers and 71 percent of Gen Xers reported being “unapologetic and open” about their GLP-1 use, versus 31 percent of Gen Z and 53 percent of millennial participants. Nearly 70 percent of Gen Z respondents said they were “guarded and private” about using the medications.

Millennial and Gen Z respondents were more likely to feel a heavier stigma about GLP-1 use than older users. These younger generations more often reported receiving negative comments and feeling:

• Judged or a need to explain themselves
• That others thought they took the easy way out
• That maintaining weight was important to their confidence
• Less accepted if they regained weight

Nearly 70 percent of baby boomers felt no stigma at all.

Tirissa Reid, MD, an endocrinologist and obesity medicine specialist at NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University's Metabolic and Weight Control Center in New York City, sees patients of all ages who feel a stigma associated with being overweight and using GLP-1s. Dr. Reid believes that this is because people often don’t understand that obesity is a chronic medical condition and incorrectly equate it with laziness or a lack of discipline. Younger people may be more affected because they’re exposed to social media that promotes thinness as the ideal, she says.

In line with stigma, anxiety and mood changes decrease with age, from 47 percent among Gen Z participants to 34 percent among millennials, 16 percent among Gen Xers, and only 2 percent among baby boomers, the survey found.

His patients often report feeling left out of social situations because of their weight, such as not being invited to work events, says John Brebbia, MD, a surgeon who specializes in obesity and weight management and bariatric surgery at MedStar Health in Olney, Maryland. “We hear the flip side, too, that if they’re successful and they’ve lost weight, now all of a sudden they’re being asked to do things,” Dr. Brebbia says. “And they’re not used to these social things because they’ve been excluded for so long.”

After starting a GLP-1, the survey found that most generations changed aspects of their eating habits:

• Gen Xers were significantly more likely than Gen Z respondents to eat fewer sweets or sugary foods.
• 61 percent of baby boomers reported eating fewer larger portions, significantly more than other generations.
• 39 percent of millennials avoided certain foods because of side effects.
• Gen X respondents and baby boomers were more likely to stop eating when they were full.
• Baby boomers were the least likely to feel pressure to explain their eating habits and avoid social events because of it; Gen Z and millennial participants were the most likely to feel this pressure.

People who take GLP-1s and also make lifestyle changes related to diet and exercise often have better outcomes, Brebbia says.

A GLP-1 isn’t “a magic bullet, in and of itself,” says Brebbia, who recommends that his patients work with nutrition and behavioral support counselors as well. “The medication alone is usually not enough to get the best long-term results.”

In the survey, Gen Z and millennial participants reported needing more guidance on meal planning, protein intake, strength training, and grocery shopping while taking GLP-1s, whereas 31 percent of baby boomers said they received all the information they needed.

Albaugh says that taking a GLP-1 drug is just part of the equation. The goal, he says, is to ”choose the treatment or combination of treatments that fits the individual patient and have a realistic plan for maintaining the health benefits over the long term.”

Different generations also reported different outcomes of their GLP-1 use. Gen Xers and baby boomers were most likely to experience improved blood sugar levels and weight loss, but 18 percent of baby boomers reported no changes at all.

Millennials reported the most psychological and behavioral benefits, including improved confidence, better sleep, and drinking less alcohol. Gen Z participants reported smoking or vaping less, and spending less time on compulsive habits.

For type 2 diabetes management information, more than 80 percent of Gen Xers and baby boomers trusted their endocrinologist or primary care physician, versus 73 percent of millennials and 52 percent of Gen Z participants.

Gen Z and millennial respondents were significantly more likely than older generations to trust digital and social channels, including major healthcare websites, social media, AI platforms, pharmaceutical websites, and online patient communities.

In the survey, millennials reported the highest knowledge of GLP-1s. But Gen Z and millennial respondents experienced more disruptions in taking the medications, including delaying filling prescriptions, skipping doses, taking lower doses than what was prescribed, stopping the medication, and switching medications.

Reid hasn’t seen this trend among her patients, but disruption is often related to insurance coverage changes. Younger generations’ exposure to social media content promoting GLP-1 microdosing or intermittent or sporadic use of the medications may influence these behaviors, too, Albaugh adds.

Younger generations are likely more “bombarded with information about GLP-1s” online, Reid says, but that doesn’t necessarily “translate to having a better understanding of the medication.”

Taking GLP-1s as prescribed and working with a doctor is crucial, Albaugh says. “Medical supervision is about much more than prescribing an injection. It is about monitoring the whole patient, identifying side effects or nutritional problems early, and helping ensure that the weight loss is as safe and healthy as possible.”

Sources: Everyday Health Type 2 Diabetes/GLP-1 Patient Survey, N= 501, Aug. 5-13, 2026.