New Delhi, Aug 24 (IANS): The rising obesity levels in the US may be curbed by ‘new appetite inhibiting drugs’, said Elon Musk on Saturday.

The tech billionaire said this as a reply to a user on the social media platform X.com, who stated rising levels of obesity in the US.

“40 per cent of Americans are obese,” said the user, citing 2018 data from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation data

“They will plummet with the new appetite-inhibiting drugs,” replied Musk.

Obesity is known to have significant negative consequences that can take a huge toll on both a person’s health as well as increase the country’s health burden. According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 2 in 5 adults in the country have obesity.

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines obesity as having a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more, and those with a BMI of 25 and above as overweight. The chronic complex condition leads to excessive fat deposits which can impair health by leading to diabetes, hypertension, cancers, and a host of other issues.

In 2022, 1 in 8 people in the world were living with obesity. Over 390 million children and adolescents aged 5-9 years were overweight in 2022, including 160 million who were living with obesity, as per the WHO.

In 2022, a novel drug called Semaglutide, marketed as Ozempic and Wegovy by Novo Nordisk was introduced as a weight loss medication. These were originally prescribed to people with type 2 diabetes.

In 2023, Musk said he lost about 20 pounds by using Wegovy and by practising intermittent fasting -- restricted eating during specific windows of time.

Semaglutide drug mimics glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) -- a hormone that is naturally released after the intake of food.

The drug connects with the GLP-1 receptors in the body, making a person feel less hungry and fuller. The weekly injection has been shown to benefit people with obesity by offering an alternative to weight loss surgery.