Story Highlights
- Women more likely than men to say they are overweight, want to lose weight
- 30% of U.S. adults report significant weight loss in past two years
- About one-quarter each use wearable fitness tracker, app to track health
Editor's Note: This research was conducted in partnership with West Health, a family of nonprofit and nonpartisan organizations focused on healthcare and aging.
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- As the new year approaches and Americans consider their resolutions for 2025, losing weight may be on the minds of many. More than four in 10 U.S. adults, 43%, view themselves as overweight -- and even more, 55%, say they want to lose weight. However, only 27% report they are actively working toward that goal. Women continue to be more likely than men to say they are overweight and to express a desire to trim down.
Meanwhile, 30% of Americans report having lost a significant amount of weight in the past two years, with 4% attributing the reduction to prescription medication.
In their effort to achieve better health, about one-quarter of U.S. adults use fitness trackers, such as smartwatches or smart rings, or monitor their health statistics using an app on their smartphone or tablet.
These findings are from Gallup’s annual Health and Healthcare survey, conducted Nov. 6-20.
Less Than Half of U.S. Adults Are Content With Their Weight
For the first time in Gallup’s trend since 1999, less than half of U.S. adults describe their weight as about right (48%), while 43% say they are overweight -- either very (5%) or somewhat (38%). Few describe themselves as underweight, although the 8% currently doing so is one of the higher rates measured.
Gallup has tracked Americans’ perceptions of their own weight almost every year since 1999. On average, those who believe their weight is about right have surpassed those who consider themselves overweight by 14 percentage points. The current five-point edge is the narrowest since 1999, as the percentage of people who consider themselves overweight is near its highest and the percentage of those who believe their weight is about right is near its lowest.
As Americans' self-reported weight has increased over the past two decades, they have adjusted their views of what their ideal weight is, which accounts for the relative steadiness in the trend on this measure.
Gender Imbalance in Perceptions of Weight Persists
Since 1999, women have consistently been more likely than men to say they are overweight, and the latest 11-point gap is on the higher end historically. The 49% of women who think they are overweight ties the record high in 2001, while the 38% of men saying the same is about average.
There are also significant differences by age, with 26% of 18- to 34-year-old adults saying they are overweight, compared with 49% of 35- to 54-year-olds and 47% of adults aged 55 and older.
More Than Half of Americans Would Like to Lose Weight
While 55% of U.S. adults say they would like to lose weight, 33% are content with maintaining their current weight and 11% want to gain weight. These readings have been fairly steady since 1996, when Gallup began to regularly track this measure. However, Gallup’s earliest readings on this measure, taken between 1951 and 1957, were markedly different from today, as pluralities were content to remain at their current weight.
Women have historically outpaced men when it comes to wanting to slim down. The latest 61% of women who would like to lose weight compares to 48% of men, which is close to the average 15-point gap since 1951.
There are also differences on this measure by age, as adults under 35 (41%) are less likely than those aged 35 and older (59%) to express a desire to lose weight.
27% of Americans Are Seriously Trying to Lose Weight
Although 55% of U.S. adults express a desire to lose weight, only about half as many (27%) say they are seriously trying to do so. This includes 32% of women and 23% of men. Each of these readings tracks closely with the trend average since 1996.
Thirty percent of U.S. adults say they have lost a significant amount of weight in the past two years, including 4% who say they are taking a prescription drug that has contributed to their weight loss and 26% who say they are not. There is no difference in reports of significant weight loss among men and women.
Use of Fitness Trackers Slightly Higher Than Five Years Ago
About one-quarter of Americans each say they currently wear a fitness tracker such as a smartwatch or smart ring (24%) or track their health statistics using an app on their phone or tablet (26%). Use of these technologies to monitor health -- including the number of steps they take, how much sleep and exercise they get, and details about their personal health history -- is up from 19% five years ago.
While 64% of U.S. adults are not currently utilizing either of these technologies, 16% use both, 8% only wear a fitness tracker and 10% are solely tracking their health statistics with an app.
Fitness trackers are most popular with adults aged 35 to 54 (32%), with fewer of their younger (21%) and older (19%) counterparts using them. Those who are seriously trying to lose weight are more likely than those who are not to say they wear a fitness tracker (30% vs. 21%, respectively). Yet, adults who consider themselves to be overweight are not much more likely than those who say their weight is about right to use trackers or health apps.
More than three-quarters of adults who use a fitness tracker (77%) say it is a helpful tool in reaching their health goals. Likewise, 82% of those who use an app to track their health statistics say it is helpful.
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