Diet facts & stats

Question 1

In 2013-2016, about what share of US adults said they had tried to lose weight in the past 12 months?

Accepted Answer

49.1%. Nearly half of US adults reported making an active effort to lose weight.

Question 2

In that same CDC survey, which group tried to lose weight more often?

Accepted Answer

women at 56.4%, versus men at 41.7%. This gap between men and women in weight-loss attempts has been consistent across surveys.

Question 3

Which two weight-loss methods were each reported by about 63% of people trying to lose weight?

Accepted Answer

exercising more and eating less food, both 62.9%. These two classic strategies remain far more common than diet pills or surgery.

Question 4

About how much extra does obesity add to a person's annual medical costs, in 2019 dollars, per the CDC?

Accepted Answer

$1,861 per person. Across the whole country, the CDC estimates the added cost near $173 billion a year.

The basics