Americans Are Turning To Extreme Weight Loss Behaviors While Still Relying On Familiar Tools, New Survey Shows
Krissy Vann | Host, All Things Fitness and Wellness
A new national survey of 1,000 U.S. adults conducted by Shed indicates that Americans are navigating a crowded and often confusing weight loss environment shaped by cultural pressure, medical guidance, and online trends. While 76 percent of respondents said they attempted to lose weight in the past year, fewer than a third maintained their results.
Even as GLP 1 medications rise in awareness, traditional methods still dominate. Calorie tracking was reported by 51 percent of respondents, and 45 percent practiced intermittent fasting. At the same time, nearly one in three Americans said they skipped eating for twenty four hours or longer, with rates highest among Gen Z.
Generational differences were significant.
Gen Z reported the most extreme behaviors, with 38 percent fasting for a full day or more and 33 percent trying diets limited to about one thousand calories. One quarter said they would consider buying weight loss injections online without a prescription. These findings highlight widening gaps between consumer behavior and regulated medical pathways.
Influence channels are changing.
Thirty three percent of Americans said friends and family shaped their interest in GLP 1 medications more than medical advice, social media, or fast results. Among Gen Z, 43 percent rely on social platforms for GLP 1 information, indicating that weight loss conversations are increasingly driven by peer networks and algorithmic content instead of clinical sources.
Financial pressure remains strong.
Millennials were the highest spenders, with one in three reporting annual weight loss costs above five hundred dollars. Across all age groups, 47 percent said they do not trust the weight loss industry, yet nearly half also said they feel pressure to lose weight quickly. Eighty percent agreed that the industry should shift its focus toward long term health rather than rapid change.
The emotional toll is rising, particularly among younger generations.
Nearly 40 percent of Gen Z described their weight loss attempts as emotionally exhausting, and 29 percent said their behaviors felt obsessive or difficult to control. For fitness operators, these figures point to an emerging need to address the psychological and social context that younger members carry into gyms and studio settings.
For fitness executives, Shed’s findings highlight a market in transition.
Members are experimenting with a wide mix of pharmacological, digital, and traditional tools. Providers are increasingly responsible for navigating misinformation, affordability, and emotional strain while shaping offerings that support sustainable health rather than reactive, short term efforts.
The survey was conducted in 2025 by Shed, a health and wellness organization, and examined behavioral, demographic, and generational patterns in weight loss motivations, methods, and barriers.
