Employee perceptions and experiences with tirzepatide treatment for obesity or overweight in the US: Insights from the PERCEPTIONS Survey.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize real-world experiences, perceptions, and workplace-related outcomes among full-time employed adults in the United States with obesity or overweight initiating tirzepatide for obesity management, and to assess perceptions of employer-provided insurance coverage for obesity medications (OMs). METHODS: This analysis reports baseline findings from the PERCEPTIONS survey, an observational, longitudinal, real-world study conducted in the United States. Full-time employed adults (≥18 years) with obesity (body mass index [BMI] ≥30 kg/m) or overweight (BMI ≥27 kg/m with ≥1 obesity related complication [ORC]) initiating tirzepatide for obesity management were recruited via clinical sites and specialist recruitment agencies and completed a self-administered electronic survey (June to November 2025). Demographic, clinical, and employment characteristics; engagement in employer-sponsored wellness programs; perceptions of employer-provided insurance coverage for OMs; and patient-reported outcomes, including work productivity and activity impairment (WPAI) assessed using the WPAI questionnaire were reported. RESULTS: Among the 518 full-time employees included, mean (SD) age was 46.0 (11.6) years, BMI was 38.4 (8.4) kg/m, and mean employment duration was 89.8 months (∼7.5 years). Most participants had employer-provided health insurance (80.9%), among these, 55.9% reported coverage for OMs. Majority (96.5%) believed employer-provided insurance should include OM coverage, citing improved health, productivity, and management of obesity-related complications. 81.7% reported that OM coverage may increase job satisfaction and 52.3% reported that they would consider changing jobs in order to receive OM coverage. WPAI results indicated substantial impairment, with mean activity impairment of 43.0% and overall work impairment of 32.4%, driven primarily by presenteeism. CONCLUSION: Among full-time employees initiating tirzepatide, obesity was associated with considerable work and activity impairment, and strong support was expressed for employer-provided OM coverage. These findings highlight the potential clinical and functional value of obesity pharmacotherapy and may inform employer and insurer policies aimed at reducing barriers to care and supporting long-term obesity management.