Fewer Americans are trying to lose weight than nearly a decade ago, but that doesn’t mean more are happy with what they see when they step on the scale or that they feel in “excellent” or even “very good” health, according to survey results revealed Jan. 13 by the International Food Information Council.
The percentage of Americans who reported trying to lose weight fell to 51% in IFIC’s 2025 Food & Health Survey of more than 3,000 Americans compared to 57% in the 2016 version of the annual survey. The drop comes from far fewer people trying to lose 10 or more pounds (29%) in the 2025 survey compared to 34% in the 2016 research.
This dip is offset by more people trying to gain weight in the 2025 survey (8%) compared to in the 2016 survey (3%), and an even more significant increase in those wanting to maintain their weight – up to 28% from 23%, according to IFIC.
At the same time, IFIC found “a notable drop in” the percentage of Americans who considered their health “excellent” at 13% or “very good” at 35% in the 2025 survey compared to a whopping 60% who described their health as “excellent” or the 42% who described it as “very good” in the 2012 survey.
“This sustained downward trend signals a meaningful shift in how Americans perceive their health,” according to IFIC.
A deeper dive into the research reveals how this shift is creating challenges and opportunities for packaged food and beverage brands, and shines a light on the types of diets, health claims and nutrients consumers are seeking and avoiding.
The new rules of dieting
As illustrated by IFIC’s findings, weight management is still central for most Americans, but diversifying motives suggest brands have more wiggle room around messaging and may no longer be locked into “less is best” and no- or low- callouts, especially for calories, that dominated culture for so long.
Rather, the data suggests there is increased appetite for more nuanced messaging, including around the source of calories and other macro-nutrients of interest, including fat, protein and fiber.
For example, IFIC found fewer Americans (25%) reported in the 2025 survey that calories from all source impact weight equally, compared to a peak of 40% who said the same in 2011.
That shift reflects an increased fragmentation in finger-pointing to specific nutrients, including more Americans in the 2025 survey saying calories from sugar are most likely to cause weight gain (25%) compared to 11% in 2011. Likewise, 23% blame calories from carbs as the top culprit for weight gain in the 2025 survey compared to only 9% in 2011. Finally, more people said calories from fat are the most likely to cause weight gain in 2025 at 16% compared to 14% in 2011.
How does this translate to claims?
IFIC data found that about a third of consumers now define ‘healthy’ as low in sugar, while 21% said the same about low in saturated fat and 17% for low in total fat. Low-calorie and low-carb came in closer to the bottom of the criteria to define healthy at 16% and 15%, respectively.
The top three criteria Americans use to define healthy food include: a good source of protein (up 8% from 2022 to 38%), fresh (36%) and low in sugar at 34%.
IFIC also found notable increases in the percentage of Americans who defined healthy food as minimally or not processed (up 8% in 2022 to 28%), a good source of fiber (up 4% in 2022 to 28%) and made with limited or no artificial ingredients and preservatives (up 7% in 2022 to 25%).
The rise of intentional eating patterns
More Americans are following a specific eating pattern or diet as they become more sophisticated in their understanding of how they diet – and specific nutrients – impact their weight and perception of their health, according to the survey.
IFIC found 57% of respondents said they tried a specific diet in the past year compared to 54% who said the same in 2024. This follows an established uptick in Americans following diets, with only 36% reporting they tried a diet in 2018, 43% in 2020 and 52% in both 2022 and 2023.
The most popular diet likely won’t come as a surprise as it held the top spot the past two years, but the magnitude of its growth might. IFIC found 23% of Americans followed a high protein diet in the 2025 survey compared to just 20% in 2024, 18% in 2023 and a mere 4% in 2018.
The most popular diets behind high protein were mindful eating (19%), calorie counting (15%), intermittent fasting (15%) and clean eating (13%).
This suggests consumers may be more open to or seeking messaging about how a food or beverage could intentionally fit into their diet – for example, making room for indulgent treats for mental wellness.
Likewise, the high percentage of consumers following a “clean” diet suggests many consumers interested in clean labeling claims about processing and artificial verses natural ingredients would be well received. Indeed, IFIC found 28% of Americans included “minimal or no processing” in their definition of healthy food, and 25% included limited or no artificial ingredients or preservatives.
Positive ‘clean’ claims were cited by far fewer Americans in the definition of healthy food. For example, only 14% cited limited number of ingredients – although this was up 5% from 2022 – and only 12% listed non-GMO, which was down from the previous year. Likewise, organic, was included by only 19% of Americans in their definition of healthy food, according to IFIC.
This discrepancy is also notable because 61% of Americans say they want to hear about what to eat, rather than what to avoid, and 51% want information how to eat, rather than how not to eat.
Consumers want information but don’t know who to trust
As more consumers try to manage their weight and adopt dietary patterns, many are confused by nutritional information and unsure who to trust.
IFIC found eight in 10 Americans in 2025 didn’t know what to believe “because nutrition information seems to keep changing,” a sentiment that increased from seven in 10 Americans in 2022.
That said, the most trusted sources are dietitians and healthcare professionals and the least trusted are social media influencers and bloggers.
Government agencies, including USDA and FDA, which manage the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, fall in the middle with on 15% of Americans trusting them ‘a lot’ and 13% ‘not at all.’
Take aways
Taken together, IFIC’s findings suggest Americans are highly interested in the role nutrition plays in their health, although they are unsure who to trust.
Likewise, a diversification of health goals, how they define healthy and the types of claims the look for on pack opens the doors for brands to finetune their marketing and underscores the importance of segmenting consumers and personalizing messaging.
