There are an estimated 7.6 million fewer obese adults today compared with three years ago, new research shows, and injectable weight loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy may be a contributing factor.
The U.S. adult obesity rate, calculated as having a BMI of 30 or higher, has gradually declined to 37% in 2025, dropping from a record high of 39.9% in 2022, according to a survey by the Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index released Tuesday, Oct. 28.
At the same time, usage of GLP-1 drugs among both men and women more than doubled in the past year, the index found, with 12.4% of respondants saying they used the drugs compared with 5.8% in February 2024, when Gallup first measured it. The drugs, which were approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for weight loss in 2021, have boomed as an effective way to shed weight, which work to prolong feelings of fullness to reduce food intake.