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 on 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 respondents 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.

But while Americans are dropping pounds, the survey also found that diagnoses of diabetes – a lifetime disease that can be managed but not cured – have now reached an all-time high of 13.8%, raising ongoing questions about how to get healthier.

More Americans use injectables for weight loss

Americans see GLP-1s as a preferred option for weight loss, something many people fight to do for a lifetime. More than half of Americans think GLP-1s are a good idea if you want to slim down, according to the Pew Research Center. And knowledge of GLP-1s has skyrocketed, with 9 in 10 Americans now aware of these drugs, the survey says.

GLP-1 usage has proliferated in recent years across the United States, especially now that 13 states fully cover GLP-1s for obesity treatment under Medicaid. Legislators nationwide are advocating to expand coverage, as the drugs can cost hundreds of dollars per month without insurance. Major disparities in prescription rates run across racial, economic and geographic boundaries, April 2025 research found, even to the point some Americans are cooking their own GLP-1 drugs at home to cut costs.

A better financial framework could help solidify GLP-1s as a long-term obesity solution in the United States, the survey says. And as obesity rates among Americans continue to rank far higher than those of other countries, the survey says this could help justify policy and coverage gains.

Americans weigh less, but diabetes is still on the rise

Despite the rise of GLP-1 injections for weight loss, diabetes rates aren't falling, according to the survey, which asked adults: “Has a doctor or nurse ever told you that you have diabetes?”

Among respondents who have been diagnosed with diabetes, 14.1% said they used GLP-1 drugs for weight loss purposes, slightly higher than the general adult population. But while GLP-1s are a strong solution to weight management and the effects of long-term illnesses like diabetes, they are not a be-all cure, the survey says. Genetics, environment and our overall health play a role, too, the survey says. Healthier lives across America mean that medical interventions, as much as individual choices, matter. So don't forget to eat right, exercise and maintain beneficial routines.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The obesity rate in the US has declined. Are GLP-1s responsible?

Reporting by Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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