According to an article published in The New England Journal of Medicine, the United States is only a few years away from witnessing a massive surge in the number of people categorized as obese.
In fact, projections indicate that nearly one-in-two of all American adults will succumb to the disease by 2030, with morbid obesity also poised for a depressingly high growth rate.
These forecasts have unveiled a significant disparity compared to previous levels, where only 30.5% of Americans were considered obese in 1999-2000.
Moreover, the ramifications of the condition are far from uniform, with variations based on gender, ethnicity, and income.
Notably, a greater proportion of women and non-Latino black Americans are expected to be affected throughout their lives, with states previously thought of as outliers to the trend facing substantial increases in the disease.
The study also implies that efforts aimed at combating childhood obesity have not yet yielded effective results either.
For instance, alarming data suggest that obese children are more prone to continued weight gain throughout adulthood, thereby escalating the risk of the severest form of the ailment. Consequently, this weight gain pattern is anticipated to curtail the percentage of overweight individuals as more bypass this category and progress directly from a healthy weight straight to extreme obesity.
The mismatch in obesity rates among demographic groups and regions underscores the absence of a universal cure for this predicament. Customized strategies that consider cultural, environmental, and socioeconomic factors are imperative, with a singular emphasis on weight loss encouragement likely to fall short of what’s needed.
Although the situation may seem bleak, this challenging scenario has a silver lining.
As the obesity epidemic escalates, publicly-traded companies specializing in healthcare and technology will have more incentive to create and develop remedies to tackle this pressing problem.
In fact, it’s already happening today. Two mega-cap corporations – namely Eli Lilly (NYSE:LLY) and Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL) – are making strides in their own domain to tackle obesity head-on.
So, let’s take a closer look at how these famous brands are using their vast resources to help cure and prevent this growing pandemic.
Eli Lilly
Eli Lilly and Company is a worldwide pharmaceutical enterprise with a one-hundred-year history of discovering groundbreaking treatments for various health conditions.
The organization’s impeccable understanding of metabolic disorders – as well as its expertise in creating medicines for illnesses like diabetes and cardiovascular disease – establishes a rock-solid foundation for addressing issues associated with obesity.
Moreover, LLY has gained a reputation for its extensive range of insulin products, boasting of such prominent brands as Humalog, Humulin, and Basaglar, which have all emerged as the preferred options among medical practitioners and patients alike.
Besides insulin treatments, Eli Lilly has made meaningful progress in creating GLP-1 receptor agonists, a distinctive group of drugs that activate the GLP-1 receptors to monitor blood glucose levels and promote weight reduction.
For instance, the company’s GLP-1 receptor agonist portfolio includes Trulicity, which has demonstrated positive clinical outcomes in managing type 2 diabetes and inducing weight loss. The response to the medication has been particularly impressive, with the drug being so popular that shortages have arisen due to unexpected increases in demand.
Furthermore, Lilly has expanded its offerings for metabolic disorders by partnering with Boehringer Ingelheim to fabricate and market SGLT-2 inhibitors, a family of molecules that operate by inhibiting the SGLT-2 protein responsible for glucose reabsorption in the kidneys.
Jardiance, a premier SGLT-2 inhibitor in LLY’s portfolio, has likewise shown an ability to reduce the risk of kidney disease progression and cardiovascular death, making it a valuable treatment for people suffering from renal and heart complications.
Alphabet
Alphabet is another company actively exploring opportunities to leverage its technological prowess to improve healthcare outcomes and address various fitness-related challenges.
In fact, where Eli Lilly might be the best in the business for treating the symptoms of obesity, Alphabet hopes to provide preventative measures before a cure is even needed.
Indeed, in a 2021 buyout deal worth approximately $2.1 billion, GOOGL acquired Fitbit, one of the world’s top producers of wearable fitness trackers, highlighting Alphabet’s dedication to expanding its presence in the sector.
Fitbit – known for its brand recognition in wearable devices – brings valuable assets to Alphabet’s health-tech endeavors. The company’s suite of products provides indispensable health and well-being information, such as heart rate, sleep patterns, and other metrics.
With Fitbit under its auspices, Alphabet has the potential to blend its hardware with its current software ecosystem, which includes Google Fit and Wear OS, resulting in a smoother user experience. By amalgamating the resilient wearable technology of Fitbit with the remarkable analytics capabilities of Google, Alphabet strives to design imaginative solutions that enable people to make calculated choices concerning their health and lifestyle choices.
Integrating Fitbit intelligence offers prospects for enhanced research and insights too. Aggregated and anonymized health data collected from its devices could contribute to population health studies, disease surveillance, and personalized interventions.
GOOGL has also been involved in various other health-tech initiatives. For instance, Verily Life Sciences, a company subsidiary, develops cutting-edge solutions for genetic and nanoparticle applications. Verily’s projects include precision medicine and the development of health-centric hardware and software.
In addition, Google’s Cloud Healthcare API provides a secure platform for storing and accessing healthcare data, facilitating interoperability and collaboration among different stakeholders. Alphabet’s participation in these initiatives underscores its commitment to drive progress in the health-tech realm and leverage its technological expertise to enhance patient outcomes.
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