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The inaugural State of Weight and Health Report™
A first-of-its-kind report from Novo Nordisk exploring the state of weight at the intersection of health, lifestyle, and culture in America.
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What we call the ‘Obesity Trap’
People with obesity are constantly navigating multiple dynamics — genetics, lifestyle and cultural conditioning, time-constrained work culture, convenient fast food, and challenges in healthcare systems — that can make losing weight and keeping it off difficult.1–5 These ever-present tensions can entangle individuals and families in what we are calling the Obesity Trap, a web of competing forces that make people living with obesity feel caught between multiple personal and societal stressors: their biology vs culture, personal efforts vs systemic barriers, internal motivation vs external stigma.6
The State of Weight and Health Report™ explores some of the different dimensions that make up what we call the Obesity Trap:
How our culture can undermine weight and health
Why our food environment can work against us
How stigma can affect different groups
Where gaps in healthcare may exist
The results are in
Obesity can affect people from all walks of life, but the details can vary across demographics.7
Obesity can impact US adults across all demographics, yet everyone’s story is unique, dependent on many factors including gender, generation, cultural background, lifestyle, and economic status.6,7 Understanding these differences is essential to appreciating the multifaceted challenges of what we call the Obesity Trap.
In this report, we explored a variety of demographic and societal factors that can help contextualize what we call the Obesity Trap. Let's look at a few.
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Young adults (ages 18–29) reported they were more influenced by self-esteem, body image, and what others think when it comes to how they see their own weight, compared to older age groups in the State of Weight and Health survey. This group also reported they are more likely to try to manage their weight on their own without much help from healthcare professionals.6
71%
of 293 respondents said body image shapes how they perceive their weight.6
Compared to the other age groups surveyed, Gen Z reported that self-esteem and opinions from others were some of the factors that impacted how they perceived their weight; yet the State of Weight and Health survey also showed despite the impact of stigma, they prefer charting their own course in weight management.6
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The State of Weight and Health survey results revealed that women living with obesity reported they face stigma and bias about their weight but are proactive about managing their weight.6
33%
of 488 women with obesity surveyed said they avoid public situations because they hate the feeling of being judged.6
Women with obesity reported in the State of Weight and Health survey feeling judged by family, friends, and healthcare professionals because of their weight, yet they are seeking support.6
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The State of Weight and Health survey results showed that men approach managing and coping with their weight differently than women do.6
16%
of 528 men with obesity surveyed reported that they sought guidance from a healthcare professional in weight management when asked about helpful coping strategies to deal with stigma or bias associated with obesity, compared to 28% of 488 women with obesity surveyed.6
Compared to women living with obesity, men living with obesity were less likely to say that talking to family or a healthcare professional helped them cope with stigma or bias associated with obesity.6
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The State of Weight and Health survey results showed that for people with obesity in lower income brackets, weight management journeys can be shaped by systemic barriers and personal choices.6
21%
of 498 people with obesity surveyed said "money issues” (not having enough money for healthy foods, gym memberships, etc.) contributed to their weight gain.6
The results of the State of Weight and Health survey unveiled that for people living with obesity in lower income brackets, barriers to eating healthy include lack of affordable healthy food options and financial strain.6
In the report we defined income brackets as:
Lower-income: earning $50,000 or less annually
Higher-income: earning over $150,000 or more annually
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Those surveyed for the State of Weight and Health reported that many cultural and societal variables can influence people’s lived experience with obesity.6
31%
of 157 Hispanics with obesity surveyed reported that cultural norms about body size were a factor in their perception of their own weight.6
Cultural influences and environmental constraints — dietary patterns, family habits, and resource availability — can create distinct, lived experiences for people living with obesity.6,8,9
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The State of Weight and Health survey findings underscored what other research has revealed — factors that drive work productivity in the US can contribute to challenges for people with obesity, including putting more demands on their time.6,10
36%
of 866 people with obesity who have tried weight management approaches surveyed reported they lack the time to plan and prepare meals.6
The demands of the US work culture contribute to time challenges that can make it difficult to prioritize an active lifestyle for people with obesity.6,10
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The State of Weight and Health survey found that healthcare professionals (HCPs) believe exposure to unhealthy food advertising can influence the development of obesity.6
73%
of 709 HCPs surveyed believe that unhealthy food advertising influences the progression of obesity.6
This sentiment extends beyond HCPs. Adults with and without obesity reported in the State of Weight and Health survey that they believe food and beverage companies have, or should have, some responsibility to address obesity.6
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The State of Weight and Health survey showed the majority of healthcare professionals (HCPs) recognize obesity as a serious chronic disease, but this may not translate into care delivery.6
40%
of 709 HCPs surveyed reported they were not very familiar or not familiar at all with comprehensive obesity care guidelines.6
Statistics are based on a May 2025 survey created and fielded by Novo Nordisk in the US, which evaluated responses from 709 healthcare professionals, 762 adults without obesity, and 1016 adults living with obesity. Additionally, 498 adults living with obesity were recontacted in August 2025 to answer additional survey questions about their experience living with obesity.6
Statistics are based on a May 2025 survey created and fielded by Novo Nordisk in the US, which evaluated responses from 709 healthcare professionals, 762 adults without obesity, and 1016 adults living with obesity. Additionally, 498 adults living with obesity were recontacted in August 2025 to answer additional survey questions about their experience living with obesity.6
It’s hard to lose weight even when you do everything right.”
— Survey respondent
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About the report
For decades, people living with obesity were offered a straightforward solution: eat less and move more.11 But real life is not that simple. And neither is obesity.12
Novo Nordisk’s inaugural State of Weight and Health Report™ was created to expand our understanding of the attitudes, beliefs and experiences that surround obesity and weight from the perspective of healthcare professionals, people with obesity and the general public.
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References:
- Bouchard, Claude. Genetics of Obesity: What We Have Learned Over Decades of Research. Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) vol. 29,5 (2021): 802-820. doi:10.1002/oby.23116
- Dorsey, R. R., Eberhardt, M. S., & Ogden, C. L. (2010). Racial and ethnic differences in weight management behavior by weight perception status. Ethnicity & disease, 20(3), 244–250.
- Escoto, K. H., Laska, M. N., Larson, N., Neumark-Sztainer, D., & Hannan, P. J. (2012). Work hours and perceived time barriers to healthful eating among young adults. American journal of health behavior, 36(6), 786–796. https://doi.org/10.5993/AJHB.36.6.6
- Scapin, T., Romaniuk, H., Feeley, A. et al. Global food retail environments are increasingly dominated by large chains and linked to the rising prevalence of obesity. Nat Food 6, 283–295 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01134-x
- Phelan, S. M., Burgess, D. J., Yeazel, M. W., Hellerstedt, W. L., Griffin, J. M., & van Ryn, M. (2015). Impact of weight bias and stigma on quality of care and outcomes for patients with obesity. Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity, 16(4), 319–326. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12266
- Data on file. Novo Nordisk Inc. Plainsboro, NJ. Data Source: IPSOS.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult obesity facts. Last accessed: November 2025. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult-obesityfacts/index.html.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Risk Factors for Obesity. Last accessed: November 2025. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/risk-factors/risk-factors.html
- Capoccia, D., Milani, I., Colangeli, et al. (2025). Social, cultural and ethnic determinants of obesity: From pathogenesis to treatment. Nutrition, Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases, 35(6), Article 103901. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.numecd.2025.103901
- Luckhaupt, S. E., Cohen, M. A., Li, J., & Calvert, G. M. (2014). Prevalence of obesity among U.S. workers and associations with occupational factors. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 46(3), 237–248. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2013.11.002
- Gołacki J, Matyjaszek-Matuszek B. Obesity – Standards, trends and advances. Sci Dir. 2024. 69(1):208-215.
- Garvey WT, Mechanick JI, Brett EM, et al. American association of clinical endocrinologists and American College of Endocrinology comprehensive clinical practice guidelines for medical care of patients with obesity. Endocr Pract. 2016;22 (Suppl 3):1-203.
