For Many Trying to Shed Pounds, Looking Better Matters More Than Looking Perfect

A new Everyday Health survey highlights how people living with obesity, as well as those who are trying to lose weight, prioritize their goals and motivations.

What Health Experts Make of the Findings

What to Do if Obesity Has Not Been Properly Treated

If you have obesity and want to change your weight, Dr. Ali recommends starting with your primary care physician. “It may be necessary to run some tests and to make sure that things are in order from a hormonal perspective,” he says.

Fitch advises seeking a clinician who treats obesity as a chronic disease rather than something that can be managed through diet and exercise alone. “Comprehensive care today can include nutrition counseling, behavioral support, movement tailored to the individual, and when appropriate, U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved obesity management medications, or other medical tools, all personalized to that person’s biology and goals,” she says.

Registered dietitian Maya Feller, RD, certified dietitian nutritionist and founder and lead dietitian at Maya Feller Nutrition and author of Eating From Our Roots, says a registered dietitian can also help build a personalized nutrition and lifestyle plan for the future.

Fitch also emphasizes the importance of changing how people think about excess weight. “Ditch the idea that this is a willpower problem,” she says. “Obesity has strong genetic, hormonal, and environmental drivers, and understanding that can be a relief, not an excuse.”

Sources: Everyday Health Obesity/Weight Loss GLP-1 Patient Survey, N= 858, Aug. 5-15, 2026.