The United States has recorded its first meaningful decrease in adult obesity rates in years, with new data showing a drop from nearly 40% in 2022 to 37% in 2025, coinciding with a dramatic surge in the use of GLP-1 weight loss medications. The decline represents an estimated 7.6 million fewer obese Americans, according to Gallup Poll results published Tuesday based on nearly 17,000 survey responses.
GLP-1 Drug Usage Surges Across Demographics
The use of GLP-1 injectable medications for weight loss has more than doubled in under two years, rising from just 5.8% of Americans in early 2024 to over 12% currently. Women are adopting these medications at significantly higher rates than men, with usage jumping from 6.9% to 15.2% among women compared to 4.7% to 9.7% among men over the past year.
The demographic showing the largest obesity reductions—adults aged 40 to 64—also demonstrates the highest rates of GLP-1 drug usage. Women have experienced greater obesity rate decreases than men, with a 3.5 percentage point drop to 38.8% compared to a 2.3-point reduction to 35.2% among men since 2022.
Clinical Impact and Mechanism of Action
Dr. Todd Worley, a bariatric surgeon at Houston Methodist, characterized the obesity rate decline as significant, noting that while weight loss never has a single factor, the injectable medications have "had a huge impact." These drugs, which include Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound, work through multiple mechanisms: they reduce "food noise" in the brain, slow gastric emptying to promote satiety, and improve insulin response efficiency.
Clinical studies demonstrate that patients typically lose 15% to 22% of their total body weight over approximately one year of treatment. Ozempic, originally developed for diabetes management, showed such significant weight loss effects in diabetic patients that manufacturers submitted for FDA approval for weight loss indications, resulting in Wegovy—the same medication formulated specifically for weight management.
Diabetes Rates Continue Rising Despite Obesity Decline
Paradoxically, diabetes diagnoses reached an all-time high of 13.8% in 2025, up from 13.4% in 2024 and 12.8% in 2022. The Gallup analysis suggests this apparent contradiction stems from diabetes being a chronic condition where "short-term reductions in the obesity rate would not be expected to curtail the percentage of Americans who have been diagnosed with it."
The relationship between obesity and diabetes involves complex factors, as not all obese individuals develop diabetes, and some non-obese people receive diabetes diagnoses. While obesity increases diabetes risk by approximately four times, the chronic nature of the condition means existing cases persist regardless of current weight status.
Treatment Integration and Future Outlook
Worley emphasizes that GLP-1 medications should be used "under physician supervision" and work most effectively when combined with lifestyle modifications. He recommends starting with small, sustainable changes including increased vegetable and fiber intake, higher water consumption, and 15-minute daily walks to build healthy habits.
The weight loss medications may provide psychological benefits by delivering faster initial results, potentially encouraging patients to maintain long-term lifestyle changes. Worley expressed optimism that obesity rates will continue declining as new treatment options emerge, noting that obesity affects the entire body and emotional health, making weight management "tremendously important."
The Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index survey, conducted continuously since 2008, defined obesity as having a body mass index of 30 or higher and included both type 1 and type 2 diabetes patients in its analysis.
