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We Analyzed 110,039 People Aiming to Lose Weight. Here’s What We Learned About Dieting in America.

Illustration - Showing a map of the united states surrounded with a measuring tape. The map is distorted to make it appear like a waistline.
Written by

Gym Geek’s health and fitness editor.

Updated

Over 30,000 Americans use Gym Geek’s calorie calculator and macro calculator every week. For each person calculating their calorie deficit or macronutrient profile, we collect anonymous demographic and survey data.

In September 2024, we analyzed our data set of over 110,039 web visitors to paint the picture of weight loss in America. Here’s what we learned…

Which state has the most people looking to lose weight?

The key takeaway: Adjusting for population, Virginia has the most people looking to lose weight, according to the Gym Geek calorie calculator. New Jersey has the fewest number of people looking to lose weight.

Chart - Geo map showing that, adjusted for population, Virginia has the most dieters. New Jersey has the fewest.
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The stats:

Where Virginia = 100, the largest 10 states have the following number of dieters:

  • Arizona = 54
  • California = 45
  • Florida = 71
  • Georgia = 73
  • Illinois = 81
  • Massachusetts = 42
  • Michigan = 34
  • New Jersey = 15
  • New York = 50
  • North Carolina = 36
  • Ohio = 33
  • Pennsylvania = 29
  • Texas = 65
  • Virginia = 100
  • Washington = 58

Top 10 states for number of people looking to lose weight, adjusted for population, where Virginia = 100:

  • 1st – Virginia = 100
  • 2nd – Montana = 96
  • 3rd – Illinois = 81
  • 4th – Wyoming = 80
  • 5th – Georgia = 73
  • 6th – Florida = 71
  • 7th – Texas = 65
  • 8th – Colorado = 62
  • 9th – Idaho = 62
  • 10th – Washington = 58

What is the average age of a person losing weight?

The key takeaway: Dieters are more likely to be young people. 1 in 10 dieters using online calorie calculators are 18 or 19 years old, while around 1 in 3 are in their 20’s.

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The stats:

  • 5.76% of dieters are 18 years old
  • 3.71% are 19 years old
  • 36.45% are 20-29 years old
  • 29.64% are 30-39 years old. Note there’s a bump at age 30 – that’s because our calculator defaults to 30 years old.
  • 15.32% are 40-49 years old
  • 9.10% are 50 years or older

Are more women trying to lose weight than men?

The key takeaway: More women than men are looking to lose weight. According to the online calculator calculator at Gym Geek, 60% of dieters are women, while just 40% are men.

Chart - Showing that 60% of dieters are women, 40% are men.
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The stats:

  • 60.6% of dieters are women
  • 39.4% of dieters are men

How much weight do people aim to lose per week?

The key takeaway: Around half of dieters are looking to lose 1.5 lbs to 2 lbs per week. 1 in 3 dieters are aiming to lose 2 lbs per week. Only 1 in 6 people using Gym Geek’s online calorie calculator said they were in maintenance.

Most people looking to lose weight should try to lose around 0.25 kg to 0.5 kg per week. Losing weight quickly is dangerous and can have serious health consequences. In general, most people should not attempt to lose more than 1 kg (2 lb) per week without medical supervision.

Chart - 1 in 3 dieters aim to lose 2 lbs per week. Chart shows percentage of people losing 0.5 lbs to 2 lbs per week, as well as 16% of people who are maintaining weight.
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The stats:

  • 36.7% of dieters aim to lose 2 lb or 1 kg per week.
  • 13% aim to lose 1.5 lb or 0.75 kg per week.
  • 24.5% aim to lose 1 lb or 0.5 kg per week.
  • 9.3% aim to lose 0.5 lb or 0.25 kg per week.
  • 16.4% of dieters were calculating their maintenance calories.

How many people losing weight also take part in exercise?

The key takeaway: 1 in 2 dieters say they are moderately active, which means they exercise 3-5 days per week, including activities like jogging, cycling and swimming. Activity level is declared using a Standard Activity Factor (SAF), defined as a scale from sedentary to moderately active, all the way up to extra ative.

Chart - 1 in 2 dieters say they are moderately active, exercising 3-5 days per week. The chart shows activity level from sedentary, to moderately active all the way up to extra active.
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The stats:

  • 16.7% of dieters are sedentary. Daily life involves little to no exercise and dieters may work a desk-based job and spend their spare time indoors with little physical activity.
  • 22.7% are lightly active. Dieters take part in light exercise or sports 1-3 days per week. They may work in a job where they spend time on their feet for most of the day.
  • 46.7% are moderately active. Dieters take part in moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days per week. This can include activities like jogging, cycling or swimming for at least 30 minutes each day.
  • 12.5% are very active. Dieters take part in moderate-to-vigorous exercise or sports 6-7 days per week. This can include running or playing competitive sports.
  • 1.3% are extra active. Dieters take part in vigorous training two times a day or have job requiring hard physical labor.