Nearly half of all deaths from cancer are caused by known modifiable risk factors, with smoking, alcohol consumption, and high body mass index (BMI) among the top three, notes the Union for International Cancer Control. The promise of breakthrough drugs to help people lose weight must not be used as an excuse to avoid tackling the root causes of obesity.
Category Archive: Health information
My post yesterday on weight loss drugs had a lot of comments on social media. However, when I communicated more with people, they went silent. It seems they don’t understand some basics about these drugs or who is responsible for sharing the complete information. So here it goes.
Diabetes is expected to surge dramatically in young people over the next several decades in what experts say should be a wake-up call to prioritize health in America. Researchers estimate that in 2060, there could be as many as 220,000 people under age 20 with Type 2 diabetes, an increase of nearly 700%, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study. But Lilly’s new weight loss drug could be massive. According to an estimate from Bank of America analyst Geoff Meacham, annual sales of tirzepatide could hit a record $48 billion.
The number of young people developing Type 2 diabetes has soared over the past 30 years, driven mainly by rising obesity rates, a new study shows. The mortality rate due to the global disease increased from 0.74 percent per 100,000 to 0.77 per 100,000 in 2019, when new diabetes drugs became a “vanity drug” for rapid weight loss, and Americans still aren’t exercising.
SUMMARY:
- The states struggling the most with covid-19 infections also have the least healthy populations.
- About two out of five American adults are obese, according to the CDC. Mostly because they don’t understand how what they eat effects their health.
- Only 23% of people get enough exercise and only one in ten eats enough fruit and vegetables, says the CDC.
- Less than half of Americans are proficient readers, and only 12% are considered by the country’s health department to be “health-literate”.
- Over one-third struggle with basic health tasks, such as following prescription-drug directions.

IN SUMMARY: Online health seekers are largely on their own when it comes to health content. Pharma has the opportunity to engage online health seekers via a customer-centered content strategy but it requires a realignment of processes within the organization.