US obesity rate: America’s adult obesity rate has fallen to 37% in 2025, down from a record 39.9% in 2022, according to new Gallup survey data. The finding, based on three nationally representative web surveys of 16,946 adults conducted across the first three quarters of 2025, amounts to an estimated 7.6 million fewer obese adults than three years ago. Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher.
The decline comes alongside a rapid rise in the use of GLP-1 medicines for weight loss, such as semaglutide products Ozempic and Wegovy. Gallup reports 12.4% of adults now say they’re taking a GLP-1 for weight loss, up from 5.8% when the firm first measured usage in February 2024. The steepest drops in obesity were seen among adults ages 40–49 and 50–64, the same groups reporting the highest GLP-1 uptake.
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Even as obesity recedes, type 2 diabetes remains elevated: 13.8% of Gallup’s Well-Being Index participants report a diagnosis, the highest level recorded in the dataset. The report suggests that while GLP-1 adoption may be helping to bend the obesity curve, broader metabolic health challenges persist.
Gallup cautions that the results rely on self-reported height and weight, which can introduce bias. However, the firm notes its consistent methodology supports valid trend comparisons over time. GLP-1 usage was not measured in 2022 or 2023, but Gallup says its Well-Being Index data align with reports of steadily increasing use since the drugs’ initial FDA approvals in 2021.
Despite the improvement, the U.S. still exceeds many Western nations in adult obesity prevalence. Federal data published in September 2024 similarly indicated roughly 40% of American adults were obese and marked the first time in more than a decade that the national rate had not inched higher. Analysts say sustained access to effective weight-loss treatments, alongside diet and activity changes, will determine whether the recent decline becomes a durable trend.