It appears that even people in their 60s and older are rushing to hospitals to get prescriptions for the obesity drugs Wegovy and Mounjaro. Unlike younger people, they are said to seek obesity drugs for health rather than cosmetic reasons. Obesity drugs are expensive, so access requires financial means. Some say the health gap could widen because they are out of reach in a poor old age.
◇ "Lose weight and ease knee pain"… even those 80 and older are seeking them
According to drug utilization review (DUR) data from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service (HIRA) obtained by ChosunBiz on the 29th from the office of Rep. Jeon Jin-suk of the Democratic Party of Korea on the National Assembly Health and Welfare Committee, 104,327 prescription checks for Wegovy and Mounjaro were conducted for people 60 and older through June this year since the drugs' arrival in Korea. This is what clinicians check before prescribing obesity drugs to ensure there are no duplicate prescriptions, among other things. The figure counts only what was confirmed through the DUR system, so actual prescriptions are presumed to be higher.
Wegovy and Mounjaro were launched in Korea in Oct. 2024 and Aug. last year, respectively. Through the first half of this year, cumulative prescription checks for those 60 and older totaled 87,216 for Wegovy and 17,021 for Mounjaro. Seniors accounted for about 7% of all Wegovy checks (1,294,227) and 1% of all Mounjaro checks (1,836,467). By age group, the totals were 90,789 in their 60s, 12,394 in their 70s, and 1,054 for 80 and older.
They are seen as seeking obesity drugs to lose weight and enjoy a healthier old age. Obesity is a factor that raises the risk of various chronic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and heart disease. The medical community says that losing 5% to 10% of body weight improves metabolism, which in turn improves blood sugar levels and lowers the likelihood of cardiovascular disease.
Kang Jae-heon, a family medicine professor at Kangbuk Samsung Hospital and former president of the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity, said, "Older adults seek obesity drugs to improve disease rather than for aesthetics," adding, "Losing weight also helps when knee joints hurt with age."
A pharmacist who runs a pharmacy in Jongno District, Seoul, said, "Some seniors bring prescriptions from a nearby orthopedic clinic to relieve joint pain."
◇ As if low income weren't enough… obesity polarization?
Wegovy can be prescribed in Korea for those 12 and older, and Mounjaro for those 18 and older, with no upper age limit. Both mimic the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) hormone secreted from the gut after meals. GLP-1 induces insulin secretion to lower blood sugar and is involved in appetite suppression. Originally developed as diabetes treatments, they were later found to have weight-loss effects. Wegovy has advanced as a treatment for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (fatty liver, MASH), and overseas studies have reported that GLP-1 drugs may slow cancer progression.
Some say this could deepen health inequality depending on income level. In Korea, Wegovy and Mounjaro cost 200,000 to 700,000 won per month depending on dose. According to the Korean Society for the Study of Obesity, one in two people aged 75 and older in Korea has abdominal obesity. In "Korean Social Trends 2025," the Ministry of Data and Statistics (MODS) and the Statistical Research Institute said the income poverty rate for those 66 and older in Korea is 39.7%, the highest among members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). In an elderly-poverty society, only those who can shoulder drug costs of hundreds of thousands of won per month for months to years can access the treatments.
There is also advice not to rely excessively on obesity drugs. They should be combined with diet and moderate exercise. Professor Kang said, "With Wegovy and Mounjaro, muscle can be lost in the process of losing weight, so you need to consume enough protein."
Lee Gyu-bae, a family medicine professor at Korea University Anam Hospital, said, "One option is brisk walking fast enough to break a sweat on your back for 30 minutes a day." Lee noted, "There is talk of the 'obesity paradox,' that older adults live longer with a certain amount of body weight than if they are thin," advising, "Rather than losing too much, set a long-term goal in line with body mass index (BMI), like 10% a year, and manage it over time."