The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Zepbound (tirzepatide) injection for chronic weight management in adults with obesity (body mass index of 30 kilograms per square meter (kg/ m2) or greater) or overweight (body mass index of 27 kg/m2 or greater) with at least one weight-related condition (such as high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes or high cholesterol) for use, in addition to a reduced calorie diet and increased physical activity. Tirzepatide, the active ingredient in Zepbound, is already approved under the trade name Mounjaro to be used along with diet and exercise to help improve blood sugar (glucose) in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
According to an analysis from NORC, a research organization at the University of Chicago, nearly half of nearly half of North Carolinians are obese. 45% of the state has a BMI over 30 — a little more than 2% higher than the national average.
Wake County was ranked in the 2023 County Health Rankings report as having the second-best health factors in the state — a measure that factors in obesity. [source]
- Orange County was ranked No. 1, the report, released by the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute, found.
- Robeson County came in last place.
Read the full FDA press release here.