Fast facts about dieting statistics
Dieting statistics show that weight loss is common across age groups, body-size categories, income brackets, and lifestyles, but the methods people choose are more varied than the headline numbers suggest.
The dataset also shows a clear split between intent and follow-through: many adults and teens try to lose weight, yet the specific strategies they use vary widely, and only some behaviors are especially common.
Table of contents
- At a glance
- How common dieting is
- Who tries to lose weight most often
- What people do when they diet
- Adolescent dieting statistics
- Repeated attempts and long-term patterns
- Dieting, labels, and health behavior
- What the numbers say together
At a glance
Big number: 49.1% of U.S. adults tried to lose weight in the last 12 months during 2013-2016 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313).
Highest adult subgroup in the dataset: 66.7% of adults with obesity tried to lose weight in 2013-2016 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313).
Highest adolescent subgroup in the dataset: 80.5% of girls with obesity tried to lose weight in 2013-2016 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340).
Most common adult weight-loss method: 62.9% of adults who tried to lose weight exercised, and 62.9% ate less food (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313).
Most common adolescent weight-loss method: 83.5% of adolescents who tried to lose weight exercised (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340).
How common dieting is
The most important baseline in the dataset is simple: dieting is widespread, but not universal.
In 2013-2016, 49.1% of U.S. adults tried to lose weight in the last 12 months (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313). That puts weight-loss attempts at roughly a one-in-two behavior among adults in the survey period.
The same dataset shows that dieting intensity rises sharply when body weight is higher. 66.7% of adults with obesity tried to lose weight, compared with 49.0% of adults with overweight and 26.5% of adults with underweight or normal weight (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313).
That pattern matters because it suggests dieting is not just a lifestyle trend. It is a response that becomes much more common when people perceive a stronger reason to act.
Key adult split at a glance
| Group | Tried to lose weight |
|---|---|
| Adults with obesity | 66.7% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Adults with overweight | 49.0% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Adults with underweight or normal weight | 26.5% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| All U.S. adults | 49.1% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
Who tries to lose weight most often
Dieting statistics also vary by sex, age, race or ethnicity, and income.
Among adults, women were more likely than men to report trying to lose weight: 56.4% of women versus 41.7% of men in 2013-2016 (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313).
Age differences are narrower, but still visible. 52.4% of adults ages 40-59 tried to lose weight, compared with 49.7% of adults ages 20-39 and 42.7% of adults ages 60 and over (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313).
Race and ethnicity differences in the adult data are smaller than the body-weight split, but they still show distinct levels of dieting behavior. In 2013-2016, 49.4% of non-Hispanic white adults, 48.0% of non-Hispanic black adults, 41.4% of non-Hispanic Asian adults, and 49.1% of Hispanic adults tried to lose weight (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313).
Income trends also move in a predictable direction. 42.9% of adults at or below 130% of the federal poverty level tried to lose weight, compared with 48.7% for adults above 130% to 350% of the federal poverty level and 53.7% for adults above 350% of the federal poverty level (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313).
Adult demographic comparison
| Group | Tried to lose weight |
|---|---|
| Women | 56.4% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Men | 41.7% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Ages 20-39 | 49.7% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Ages 40-59 | 52.4% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Ages 60+ | 42.7% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Non-Hispanic white adults | 49.4% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Non-Hispanic black adults | 48.0% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Non-Hispanic Asian adults | 41.4% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Hispanic adults | 49.1% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
Why it matters
The adult numbers suggest that dieting is not a niche behavior among a single demographic. It appears across the population, but the strongest signal in the data is still body weight status, followed by sex and age.
That means the category “dieting statistics” covers more than self-control or preference. It includes people trying to respond to their weight, health goals, social pressure, and long-running routines.
What people do when they diet
The dataset is especially useful because it does not stop at whether people try to lose weight. It also shows what they actually do.
Among adults who tried to lose weight in 2013-2016, 62.9% exercised and 62.9% ate less food (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313). Those two methods were tied for the most common strategies.
Several other methods also show up at meaningful rates:
- 50.4% ate more fruits, vegetables, or salads (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313)
- 44.7% drank a lot of water (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313)
- 42.4% ate less junk food or fast food (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313)
- 38.7% changed eating habits (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313)
- 38.6% ate less sugar, candy, or sweets (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313)
- 35.3% switched to foods with lower calories (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313)
- 30.4% ate fewer carbohydrates (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313)
- 29.2% ate less fat (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313)
- 16.4% skipped meals (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313)
The strongest takeaway is that dieting is rarely one single change. 88.3% of adults who tried to lose weight used two or more methods (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313).
Adult methods ranked by frequency
| Method | Share of adults who tried to lose weight |
|---|---|
| Exercised | 62.9% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Ate less food | 62.9% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Ate more fruits, vegetables, or salads | 50.4% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Drank a lot of water | 44.7% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Ate less junk food or fast food | 42.4% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Changed eating habits | 38.7% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Ate less sugar, candy, or sweets | 38.6% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Switched to lower-calorie foods | 35.3% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Ate fewer carbohydrates | 30.4% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Ate less fat | 29.2% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
| Skipped meals | 16.4% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313) |
Fast facts on dieting behavior
- Exercise is not separate from dieting in the data; it is one of the core weight-loss methods (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313).
- Food restriction is also central, with “ate less food” matching exercise at 62.9% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313).
- Dieting looks more like a bundle of behaviors than a single plan, because nearly nine in ten adults used multiple methods (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313).
Adolescent dieting statistics
Teen dieting patterns are even more concentrated among teens with obesity.
In 2013-2016, 37.6% of adolescents ages 16-19 tried to lose weight in the past year (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340). That is lower than the adult overall figure, but the subgroup patterns are intense.
Among adolescents, 45.2% of girls tried to lose weight versus 30.1% of boys (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340). By race and ethnicity, the dataset reports 50.8% of Hispanic adolescents, 33.1% of non-Hispanic white adolescents, 31.8% of non-Hispanic black adolescents, and 28.4% of non-Hispanic Asian adolescents (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340).
The body-weight split is dramatic. 77.7% of adolescents with obesity tried to lose weight, while 58.9% of boys with overweight and 80.5% of girls with obesity did so (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340).
Adolescent comparison table
| Group | Tried to lose weight |
|---|---|
| Adolescents ages 16-19 | 37.6% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340) |
| Girls | 45.2% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340) |
| Boys | 30.1% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340) |
| Hispanic adolescents | 50.8% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340) |
| Non-Hispanic white adolescents | 33.1% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340) |
| Non-Hispanic black adolescents | 31.8% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340) |
| Non-Hispanic Asian adolescents | 28.4% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340) |
| Adolescents with obesity | 77.7% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340) |
| Boys with overweight | 58.9% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340) |
| Girls with obesity | 80.5% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340) |
Adolescent methods mirror adult methods, but the levels are even more concentrated in a few behaviors.
Among adolescents who tried to lose weight, 83.5% exercised (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340). Other common methods included drinking a lot of water at 52.3%, eating less at 48.6%, eating less junk food or fast food at 44.7%, eating more fruits, vegetables, and salads at 44.6%, and using two or more methods at 82.1% (CDC NCHS Data Brief 340).
Repeated attempts and long-term patterns
Older Gallup data adds another layer: dieting is often repetitive.
In 2005, Americans reported trying to lose weight an average of seven times (Gallup 2005). That single figure is important because it shows weight loss is frequently a recurring effort rather than a one-time event.
The same survey found that 34% of Americans had never tried to lose weight, while 24% had tried once or twice, 28% had tried between 3 and 10 times, and 11% had tried more than 10 times (Gallup 2005).
The average number of attempts was much higher among people who were overweight: 13 lifetime weight-loss attempts on average, compared with 3 attempts among people who were about right or underweight (Gallup 2005).
Sex and age also shaped repetition:
- 45% of men had never attempted to lose weight, compared with 23% of women (Gallup 2005)
- 31% of men had tried to lose weight three or more times, compared with 46% of women (Gallup 2005)
- Adults ages 30-49 had tried to lose weight an average of 8 times (Gallup 2005)
- Adults ages 50-64 had tried to lose weight an average of 10 times (Gallup 2005)
The pattern is clear: dieting often becomes more frequent with age and with higher body weight, and women in the survey were more likely than men to be repeated participants.
Dieting, labels, and health behavior
The 2024 Gallup figures show that dieting is closely connected to how people think about food, nutrition labels, and health information.
In 2024, 24% of U.S. adults described their diet as very healthy, 60% as somewhat healthy, and 84% as at least somewhat healthy (Gallup 2024). That creates an important framing point: many people view their own diet positively, even while still paying close attention to nutrition cues.
Label reading was common too. In 2024, 33% of Americans said they pay a great deal of attention to nutrition labels, 42% a fair amount, 15% not much, and 9% no attention (Gallup 2024).
Women were more likely than men to read nutrition labels: 81% of women versus 70% of men (Gallup 2024). Attention also tracked education and income, with 84% of postgraduates, 80% of high-income Americans, 67% of adults with a high school education or less, and 65% of lower-income Americans saying they read nutrition labels (Gallup 2024).
When people look at labels, the top target is sugar. Among Americans who pay attention to nutrition labels, 47% look for sugar information (Gallup 2024). Calories came next at 37%, followed by carbohydrates at 17%, protein at 15%, fat at 14%, ingredients in general at 14%, sodium at 11%, salt at 7%, added dyes at 5%, chemicals at 3%, and artificial ingredients at 3% (Gallup 2024).
What label readers look for most
| Label item | Share |
|---|---|
| Sugar | 47% (Gallup 2024) |
| Calories | 37% (Gallup 2024) |
| Carbohydrates | 17% (Gallup 2024) |
| Protein | 15% (Gallup 2024) |
| Fat | 14% (Gallup 2024) |
| Ingredients | 14% (Gallup 2024) |
| Sodium | 11% (Gallup 2024) |
| Salt | 7% (Gallup 2024) |
| Added dyes | 5% (Gallup 2024) |
| Chemicals | 3% (Gallup 2024) |
| Artificial ingredients | 3% (Gallup 2024) |
The 2024 data also links dieting to food-warnings awareness. 60% of Americans said they pay attention to food warnings and nutritional recommendations, including 25% who pay a lot of attention, 35% a fair amount, 23% some attention, and 18% not too much or no attention (Gallup 2024).
Confidence in grocery food safety remained relatively high: 73% of U.S. adults were very or somewhat confident that grocery-store food is safe to eat in 2024, versus 81% in 2019 (Gallup 2024). Confidence that the federal government keeps the food supply safe was 53% in 2024, compared with 68% in 2019 (Gallup 2024).
What the numbers say together
The dataset points to a few durable patterns in dieting statistics.
First, dieting is common enough to be mainstream, not marginal. The adult rate of 49.1% shows that weight-loss attempts are part of ordinary life for a large share of the population (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313).
Second, body weight status is the strongest divider in the data. Adults with obesity and adolescents with obesity have much higher rates of weight-loss attempts than lower-weight groups (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313; CDC NCHS Data Brief 340).
Third, dieting is usually multi-method behavior. Exercise and eating less are the anchor strategies, but most people combine several tactics rather than relying on one change alone (CDC NCHS Data Brief 313; CDC NCHS Data Brief 340).
Fourth, dieting is connected to information behavior. People who think about nutrition often read labels, look for sugar and calorie information, and pay attention to food warnings and recommendations (Gallup 2024).
Fifth, repeated attempts are normal. The Gallup data shows that many Americans have tried to lose weight multiple times, and that repeated effort is especially common among people who are overweight or who are older (Gallup 2005).
All of that makes dieting statistics less about a single diet trend and more about a broad behavior pattern: people try, adjust, repeat, and cross-check their choices with labels, health goals, and body-weight goals.