GLP-1 drugs: transforming weight loss and Life & Health insurance

Weight-loss injectables like Wegovy or Ozempic are gaining popularity amid an escalating global obesity crisis. Since 1975, worldwide obesity rates have nearly tripled, with projections indicating that over half of the global population will be overweight or obese by 2035.

John Schoonbee, Global Chief Medical Officer, and Adam Strange, Life & Health R&D Manager, elaborate on the impact of GLP-1 drugs on weight loss, metabolic health and insurance. These medications influence risk factors such as insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and cancer. Additionally, they discuss the implications of these drugs on Life & Health insurance, including life, critical illness, and disability income, as well as future underwriting risk assessments. Swiss Re's Life Guide for 2025 will provide updated guidance for underwriters on these issues.

For further insights into the impacts of weight-loss injectables on metabolic health and Life & Health insurers, please refer to our publication, "The boom of GLP-1 drugs": https://www.swissre.com/reinsurance/i...

Swiss Re
The Swiss Re Group is one of the world’s leading providers of reinsurance, insurance and other forms of insurance-based risk transfer, working to make the world more resilient. It anticipates and manages risk – from natural catastrophes to climate change, from ageing populations to cyber crime. The aim of the Swiss Re Group is to enable society to thrive and progress, creating new opportunities and solutions for its clients. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, where it was founded in 1863, the Swiss Re Group operates through a network of around 80 offices globally.

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