Shed, a nutrition company specializing in weight loss support products, recently conducted a survey of 1,000 U.S. adults, breaking down weight loss strategies.

While 76% of Americans tried to lose weight in the past year, fewer than a third successfully did so and kept it off, the company reported.

Meanwhile, extreme behaviors are on the rise, with one in three Americans (29%) reporting that they skipped eating for 24 or more hours, with rates even higher among Gen Z. However, traditional tools like calorie counting (51%) and intermittent fasting (45%) remained prevalent.

“There’s no one way to lose weight anymore,” said Morley Baker, CEO at Shed. “People are overwhelmed with options, and they’re balancing cultural pressure with medical advice, online trends, and emotional health. Our research shows that while GLP-1s and high-tech solutions are gaining ground, most Americans still rely on more familiar but often unsustainable approaches.”

Topline Findings

A third (33%) of Americans said that friends and family most influenced their interest in GLP-1s, more than fast results, medical advice, or social media.

Gen Z was a leader in extreme behavior trends, with 38% fasting for 24 or more hours, while 33% have tried limiting their intake to 1,000 calories daily.

A quarter (25%) of Gen Z said they would buy weight loss injections online without a prescription.

Millennials were the biggest spenders on weight loss, with a third spending over $500 annually on their weight loss efforts.

Nearly half (47%) don’t trust the weight loss industry, yet nearly the same amount say they feel pressured to lose weight quickly, Shed reported.

Most (80%) said that the industry should shift toward sustainable health, not rapid results.

Social Pressure and Emotional Fatigue

There’s also a financial and emotional toll during weight loss attempts. Nearly 40% of Gen Z said their efforts were emotionally exhausting, and 29% said their behavior felt obsessive or hard to control. Influencers also played an outsized role, with 43% of Gen Z relying on social media for information about GLP-1 receptor agonists, more than any other source.