A new technology is disrupting the economy. Even experts don’t entirely understand how it works, its full range of uses and what its unintended consequences could be.

No, it’s not artificial intelligence; I’m talking about weight-loss drugs. With adult obesity rates falling last year for the first time in more than a decade, drugs such as Ozempic and Zepbound are already reshaping Americans’ waistlines. Now, they’re poised to reshape the entire economy, too.

As of May, roughly 1 in 8 American adults have tried GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1s for short). This percentage has almost certainly grown since then, as telehealth companies, “medi-spas” and compounding pharmacies aggressively market GLP-1 prescriptions.

We’re only just beginning to learn the full universe of effects for this class of drugs. Originally developed to treat Type 2 diabetes, GLP-1s were soon discovered to be effective in treating obesity and managing weight loss. Now there’s an ever-growing list of other potential uses (on- or off-label), including for treating heart disease, sleep apnea, Alzheimer’s, substance abuse and maybe even gambling addiction.

So here are six reasons these blockbuster drugs will disrupt the U.S. economy in 2025 - and beyond.

1. Spending on GLP-1s is skyrocketing.

Most insurance plans don’t (yet) cover GLP-1s for weight loss, and the list price for the brand-names can run upward of $1,000 a month. But, that hasn’t scared everyone off: Pharmacies are having trouble keeping the meds in stock, and semaglutide (the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy) was the top-selling drug in 2023.

Perhaps this is unsurprising, given that more than 40 percent of Americans are clinically obese. The United States spent an estimated $40 billion on all GLP-1 meds in 2024, with spending projected to triple by 2030.

2. Consumers are spending less on food and alcohol.

Some junk-food companies and alcohol sellers are freaking out about the prospect of reduced appetites or booze cravings. As they should: The average household with at least one family member on a GLP-1 is spending about 6 percent less on groceries each month within six months of adoption.

3. Other consumer-facing industries are being transformed, too.

There are some potential retail winners. For example, rapid weight loss has encouraged some patients to replace their wardrobes..

Airlines could save significant money on fuel if passengers slim down en masse, a financial firm projected. Life insurers could cash in, too, given the many mortality risks linked with chronic obesity.

4. Drug spending is distorting global financial markets.

The Danish pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk, maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, nearly single-handedly kept its home country’s economy out of recession last year while most of Europe struggled. And because Americans are the primary customers of these meds, U.S. dollars flowed heavily into Denmark, causing the Danish krone to strengthen relative to other currencies.

5. Governments and private insurers are buckling under the cost of these meds …

Again, GLP-1s are extremely expensive. Some states and private insurers that previously covered GLP-1s for weight loss reversed course because they risked going broke. Recently, the Biden administration proposed requiring Medicare and Medicaid to cover these meds as a treatment for obesity as a chronic disease. This would cost Medicare alone an additional $35 billion between 2026 and 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office.

6. … but they could ultimately save tons of money on other health spending.

Obesity is a chronic disease associated with dozens of other ailments, including joint problems and cancers. So helping Americans lose weight has the potential to make the public much healthier - and reduce spending on other (costly) care. Of course, such potential health benefits - and cost savings - will materialize more broadly only if patients keep up with their medications and adopt healthier habits to help maintain lower weights. Which is a big if.

These drugs don’t yet “pay for themselves,” but if the list price gets cut in half, they would likely start to - at least, if you add up all the workforce benefits, quality of life improvements and reduced spending on other care.