Medical Xpress January 7, 2026
As the New Year’s resolutions take center stage, a new nationwide poll shows that while a majority of American adults want to be thinner, only a fraction are doing anything about it.
In all, 52% of Americans want to lose weight but just 26% are making a serious effort to do so, the new West Health-Gallup poll found.
This struggle between “wanting” and “doing” has remained remarkably steady for nearly 30 years, pollsters said.
For the eighth straight year, at least 40% of respondents said they were “very or somewhat” overweight (41%). About half considered their weight to be about right, and the rest described themselves as underweight.
The poll underscores a long-term shift in how Americans view their bodies.
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