Fewer Americans Describe Their Overall Health Positively As New Year’s Resolutions Take Shape

New Research Reveals Growing Concern About Wellbeing, Rising Adoption Of Popular Diets & Greater Belief In The Power Of GLP-1 Medications

(Washington, D.C.) — The start of a new year is often when Americans pause to take stock of their overall health, diets, and daily habits, and many are findings their healthfulness lands somewhere good intentions and lingering concern. According to the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey: A Focus On Wellbeing & Body Weight, Americans grade their personal diets a respectable B-, yet fewer than half now describe their overall health as excellent or very good—a signal that confidence in wellbeing is slipping as New Year’s resolutions take shape.

“The start of the year is when people naturally evaluate their health and wellness choices and set new goals,” said Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak, MS, RDN, IFIC President & CEO. “As Americans reassess their health moving into 2026, our latest research reveals an audience that is motivated but not fully confident—experimenting with diets, redefining what healthy eating means, and exploring new tools like GLP-1s, all while navigating an increasingly crowded information and issues landscape.”

Measuring Up: How Americans Rate Their Health & Wellbeing

Since 2006, IFIC has tracked Americans’ self-reported health using a question modeled after the CDC’s Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. In 2013, more than 60% of Americans rated their health as excellent or very good. In 2025, that figure declined to 49%, continuing a downward trend in perceived health.

At the same time, Americans continue to view their own diets more favorably than those of others. Nearly two-thirds (64%) grade their personal diet a B– or better, while only 24% give the same grade to the average American’s diet—though that gap has narrowed since 2013.

The survey examined factors that affect health, including stress. Nearly two in three Americans report being very or somewhat stressed over the past six months, with the economy and personal finances topping the list of stressors, followed by concerns about U.S. politics and global conflicts. By contrast, food and beverage choices rank near the bottom of reported stressors, cited by just 20% of respondents.

The survey also explored how household income affects things such as health, stress, and happiness.

“We’d be remiss to not connect the dots,” said Monica Amburn, MS, RDN, LDN, IFIC Senior Director, Food & Nutrition. “Household income strongly shapes how Americans experience happiness, stress, and health—and those realities then influence food and health decisions.”

Taking Action: Weight Loss Goals & How Americans Eat

Americans remain actively engaged in managing their weight and eating habits. Just over half (51%) say they are trying to lose weight, down from 2016 as fewer aim for large losses. At the same time, more Americans report trying to maintain or gain weight, reflecting more individualized goals.

And, diet experimentation continues to rise. Nearly six in ten Americans (57%) report following a specific eating pattern in the past year, up from 36% in 2018. High-protein diets remain the most common, followed by mindful eating, with calorie counting (15%), intermittent fasting (15%) and clean eating (13%) rounding out the top five. Protein now ranks as the top attribute Americans associate with a healthy food—surpassing freshness and low sugar.

Public perceptions around calories have also shifted. Today, one in four Americans believe calories from sugars or carbohydrates are most likely to cause weight gain, nearly equal to those who believe all calories affect weight equally—a notable departure from earlier years marked by greater uncertainty and fat-focused concerns.

Digging Deeper: GLP-1s & The New Weight Loss Conversation

“It’s safe to say that prescription weight-loss medications are now firmly part of the health conversation,” said Amburn.

A striking one in ten Americans reports using a prescription weight-loss drug in the past year, and most describe their experience as positive. Two-thirds of users say they are still taking the medication, often citing weight loss, decreased appetite, and additional healthful behaviors such as improved eating habits and increased physical activity.

More than half of Americans agree these medications are effective; still, fewer believe they are safe. Experience plays a key role: Americans who have used prescription weight-loss drugs are significantly more likely to view them as both effective and safe compared to non-users.

“This skepticism is not new—at IFIC we have consistently seen perceptions of weight-loss medication safety lag behind perceptions of effectiveness,” Amburn added. “It underscores the ongoing need for clear, credible, and evidence-based communication.”

What Americans’ Health Mindset Means For Today’s Health & Wellness Communicators

“For health and wellness communicators everywhere, this is a critical moment,” said Reinhardt Kapsak. “At a time when stress and economic pressures are high, Americans are not pretending their health choices are easy. Now is the time for credible communicators to acknowledge that reality and offer guidance that feels practical, motivating, and achievable—not overwhelming.”

View the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey: A Focus On Wellbeing & Body Weight here.

Check out data on Sugars & Sweeteners, Food Production, Food & Nutrition, Food & Ingredient Safety, and Dietary Guidance & Food Labeling, previously published insights from the 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey. 

2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey​ Research Methodology

IFIC commissions this survey annually among U.S. consumers (n=3000), with 2025 marking the 20th consecutive year of the IFIC Food & Health Survey. Results were weighted to ensure that they are reflective of the American population ages 18 to 80, as seen in the 2024 Current Population Survey. Specifically, results were weighted by age, education, gender, race/ethnicity, and region. The 2025 IFIC Food & Health Survey was fielded from March 13-27, 2025.