Health Guides

Weight Loss Statistics 2023 | Facts And Data

Written By

Eric Kruczek

Updated On

November 29, 2023

Facts Verified By:

Dr. Ben Isaacson

This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact-checked by experts.

More than half of the adults worldwide are trying to shed weight. The US weight loss services industry alone was worth $3.7 billion in 2022. As the adult obesity rate is expected to rise, the demand for weight reduction services will likely soar.

Key Statistics

Globally, the weight management market size has touched $142.58 billion and is estimated to grow at 9.94% CAGR between 2023 – 2030.

30% of the global population is obese or overweight.

Asia-Pacific is the regional market segment with a maximum revenue share of 37.7%.

Function-wise, the diet segment generates 76.30% of the market’s global revenue – approximately $142.6 billion.

In this article, we have covered crucial weight loss stats that provide deeper insights into consumer psychology, eating patterns, lifestyles, and more.

Critical Demographics

The stats presented in this section are compiled by the International Food Information Council(IFIC) – a non-profit organization that publishes peer-reviewed research and science-backed data on nutrition, food safety, and sustainability. It conducted an online survey of 1000+ Americans between 18 – 80 years in April ‘23. Key findings of the same are:

52% of the respondents followed a diet. Among specific eating patterns tried by people, high protein(18%) tops the list, followed by mindful eating(17%), calorie counting(12%), clean eating(12%), and intermittent fasting(12%).

41% of those who dieted in the past year were boomers (aged above 59), 50% were Gen Xers(43 – 58 years), 63% were millennials(27 – 42 years), and 66% were Gen Zers(11 – 26 years)

53% of men and 52% of women dieted last year.

59% of the respondents who dieted were African Americans, 55% were Hispanics, and 50% were Whites.

60% preferred a plant-based, vegan, or vegetarian diet to feel healthier, 47% to enjoy the taste, 36% to help the environment, and 24% to lower food costs.

73% of people aged below 50 snack at least once daily. 41% snack to satisfy their hunger and thirst. Other motivations for snacking include treating oneself(29%), craving for sweets(22%), and yearning for salty foods(21%).

43% adopted a diet to curb weight, 39% to look better and feel energetic, and 33% to safeguard long-term health.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – a science-based and data-powered organization committed to public health – has published additional statistics based on information from the behavioral risk factor surveillance system.

Obesity prevalence among college graduates is the lowest – 27.2%; it is highest in adults with high school diplomas – 37.6%.

Individuals aged 45-54 registered the highest obesity occurrence rate of 39.9%; it was 20.5% among youngsters between 18 – 24 years.

Across all the U.S. states and territories, obesity prevalence is 20%, meaning 1 in every 5 individuals suffers from excessive weight gain.

West Virginia has the highest obesity prevalence of 41%, followed by Louisiana (40.1%) and Oklahoma(40%).

Perceptions About Weight Gain And Loss

Dissecting consumer attitudes toward weight problems helps forecast demand and supply for weight loss products and allied services. Below are the findings of a national action study published in an obesity journal.

65% of the people with obesity (PoW)consider it a disease.

54% are concerned that obesity will impact their long-term health; only 50% consider themselves overweight.

82% believe weight loss is their responsibility.

72% of healthcare providers(HCPs)think they must contribute to their patients’ weight reduction efforts.

46% of employer representatives (ERs) disagreed that employers must accept partial responsibility for employee weight loss.

17% of PoWs found employer-sponsored wellness programs helpful for decreasing weight.

Only 24% of persons diagnosed with obesity had scheduled follow-up appointments.

Methods

The results of the 2013-16 National Health and Examination Survey give a bird-eye view of the techniques adopted by adults aged over 20 to drop surplus weight.

● 62.9% exercised or ate less to lower body weight	● 38.6% reduced sweet intake.
● 50.4% consumed more salads, fruits, and vegetables.	● 35.8% followed a low-calorie diet.
● 44.7% kept themselves well-hydrated.	● 30.4% minimized carbohydrate ingestion.
● 42.4% cut back on junk food consumption.	● 29.2% ate less fat.
● 38.7% modified eating habits.	● 16.4% skipped meals.

Motivations

To deduce the predominant reasons behind adults in the U.S. desiring to lose weight, we pulled out a Statista report. It says:

77% of obese individuals want to improve overall health.

66% curtail weight to look good and fit properly in their clothes.

62% to be physically active.

66% to extend their life span.

General

● Over 67% of the adults and nearly 33% of kids cum adolescents in the US are overweight.

● 45% of overweight and 67% of obese Americans are trying to lose flab.

● 29% of nutrition and weight reduction app users are pioneers and early adopters of innovative products.

● Approximately 64 million Americans were members of fitness centers or health clubs in 2019.

● Globally, 184.61 million individuals took health club memberships.

Ethnicity

● Among US adults, Whites registered the highest aerobics participation rate across all income groups; the aerobic engagement rate of Whites in the high-income bracket rose to 85.4% between 2016-2018. It was lesser in the moderate (72.1%) and low (61.6%) income categories.

● Obesity prevalence is the lowest in non-Hispanic Asian adults – 16.1%.

● Non-Hispanic Black adults registered the highest age-adjusted obesity rate of 49.9%; the second-highest was among Hispanic adults (45.6%), followed by non-Hispanic Whites aged above 18 (41.4%).

● As per the CDC, obesity prevalence among Hispanic (44.7%) and non-Hispanic Asian(23.3%) adults is highest in Mississippi.

● Among Non-Hispanic White adults, it is highest in West Virginia (40.3%), while in Non-Hispanic Black adults, it is highest in Wisconsin(49.8%).

Ages

● 9.2% of US adults aged above 20 suffer from severe obesity – higher in women(11.7%) than men (6.6%).

● 26% of Americans – 22% Gen Z, 26% Millennials, 24% Gen X, and 26% Boomers – reported undesired weight loss during the pandemic.

● Obesity prevalence is 44.3% in adults between 40-59 years, 41.5% in individuals above 60, and 39.8% in persons between 20-39 years.

Ways Of Reducing Weight

Below, we throw light on the types of weight loss, primarily supplement usage, dieting, exercising, and engaging in physical activities.

Supplement Consumption

Americans spend approximately $2.1 billion annually on fat-burning supplements. According to IFIC, 65% of people get vitamin B12, 61% get vitamin D, and 55% get folic acid from supplements. Other significant stats are:

● 15% of US adults have taken weight-loss supplements at some point in their lives; females report a higher usage (21%) than males(10%).

● Muscle Milk – a weight control and nutritional liquid brand – generated the largest sales of $156.3 million in 2022.

Diet

More than 100.2 million Americans watch their diet to decrease weight. Thus, we have collated top diet-related figures below.

● 42% of adults restrict sugar intake to prevent weight gain, while 40% do so to shed flab.

● Over 33.33% consume low or no-calorie sweeteners to drop or maintain weight.

● 98% of the National Weight Control Registry(NWCR) participants altered food intake to cut down weight.

● 78% have breakfast daily.

Physical Activities

CDC recommends a minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobics or 75 minutes of high-intensity exercises daily to lower the risks of cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Children and adolescents must be active for at least an hour every day to improve cognition, memory, and sleep. Let’s see what the numbers say about people’s physical activity and exercise routines.

● 46.9% of US adults adhere to the CDC physical activity guidelines.

● In 2022, 21.2% of men and 19.1% of women pursued physical activities, sports, and recreation every day. The average time spent exercising by the civilian population was 0.29 hours per day.

● Between 2017-2022, Mississippi recorded the highest rate of physical inactivity in adults – 33.2%.

● Asian Americans registered the highest outdoor participation rate – 58%.

● 90% of the NCWR participants exercise for a minimum of 60 minutes daily.

● 94% started walking more.

● Many reduced around 66 lbs on average and kept their weight off for nearly 5.5 years.

● 64% of consumers use smartwatches and fitness trackers to count their steps, 36% to motivate themselves to exercise, 28% to store workout metrics, and 27% to monitor weight.

Exercises

90% of US adults consider diet cum exercise under medical supervision as the safest weight-loss technique, followed by 1:1 counseling with a dietician(87%), surgery(31%), and prescription medications (15%).

Only 24.2% of American adults meet the guiding principles for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities.

There was a 63.8% increase in the number of Americans practicing Yoga between 2010 – 2021.

115.8 million people in the US walked, 49 million jogged, and 28.4 million swam for fitness in 2021.

In 2020-21, the use of weight and resistance machines in the US fell below 31 million.

79% of adults believe exercising is the most effective way of losing a few extra pounds, followed by dieting (72%) and weight loss programs (62%).

81% want to increase the amount of exercise, while 72% are interested in following a structured diet to manage weight.

Food Choices:

The kinds of food people consume, and their attitude toward food help discern the impact of eating habits on body weight. We have compiled major stats pertaining to the same from various sources below.

47% of individuals plan out their food choices before consumption.

67% tried consuming proteins, 61% fiber & vitamin D, and 56% calcium in 2023.

47% avoided sodium, while 41% stayed away from saturated fats.

41% of people often stop eating when they are full.

20% always feel satisfied, while 8% always feel guilty about what they ate.

9% always and 15% often indulge in stress eating.

Views About Food

81% of obese adults believe lack of willpower and cheap unhealthy food are the top barriers to effective weight loss.

28% of consumers believe all calories cause weight gain – 22% think sugar is the prime culprit, 20% attribute weight problems to carbohydrates, 14% blame fats, 12% are unsure, and 4% feel proteins are the leading cause.

57% of Americans have tried alternative proteins, of which 31% preferred plant-based ground beef; 50% tried alternative proteins out of curiosity, while 40% considered them a healthier option.

Top health benefits sought from nutrient-rich foods is to lower fatigue(40%), manage weight(39%), age healthily(34%), improve digestion(32%), and strengthen heart health(30%).

40% of boomers, 39% of Gen Xers, 38% of Millenials, and 34% of Gen Zers consume healthy food to lose or manage weight.

Assorted Statistics!

● 75% of people check their weights at least once per week.

● 62% do not watch TV for more than 10 hours weekly.

Hopefully, the above numbers help draw meaningful inferences about the state of weight loss, especially in the US!