Strategies to Lose Weight Among Adults With Diagnosed Diabetes Who Reported Attempting to Lose Weight, by Age, Sex, Race and Ethnicity, and BMI, U.S., 2015–2020
| CHARACTERISTICS | WEIGHTED NUMBER | ATE LESS/LOWER CALORIES* | ATE HEALTHIER† | EXERCISED TO LOSE WEIGHT | SKIPPED MEALS | SPECIAL DIET‡ | JOINED A WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM§ | TOOK NON-PRESCRIPTION SUPPLEMENTS\\ | TOOK PRESCRIPTION DIET PILLS¶ | TOOK LAXATIVES, VOMITED, OR SMOKED# | HAD WEIGHT LOSS SURGERY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weighted number | 10,000,691 | 9,598,120 | 7,218,276 | 4,680,650 | 2,343,137 | 2,210,120 | 458,830 | 348,717 | 149,374 | 143,686 | 6,863 |
| Percent (Standard Error) | |||||||||||
| Total | 10,000,691 | 96.0 (1.1) | 72.2 (2.4) | 46.8 (3.6) | 23.4 (2.4) | 22.1 (2.2) | 4.6 (1.1) | 3.5 (1.0) | 1.5 (0.5)1 | 1.4 (0.5) | 3 |
| Age (years) | |||||||||||
| 20–44 | 1,444,532 | 95.8 (2.1) | 78.6 (4.3) | 48.8 (7.8) | 27.6 (6.5) | 34.5 (7.3) | 3 | 11.8 (3.6) | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 45–64 | 4,581,051 | 96.3 (1.4) | 67.2 (5.2) | 49.6 (4.9) | 25.7 (4.2) | 18.1 (3.4) | 3 | 3 | 1.0 (0.5)2 | 1.4 (0.6)2 | 3 |
| ≥65 | 3,975,107 | 95.7 (1.5) | 75.6 (3.7) | 42.9 (4.5) | 19.3 (3.7) | 22.2 (3.2) | 4.8 (2.0)2 | 1.4 (0.6)2 | 0.4 (0.2)2 | 0.7 (0.3)2 | 3 |
| Sex | |||||||||||
| Men | 5.054,271 | 96.2 (1.3) | 74.1 (3.3) | 50.2 (5.1) | 26.0 (3.8) | 20.5 (3.4) | 3 | 3 | 0.8 (0.4)2 | 3 | 3 |
| Women | 4,946,420 | 95.7 (1.4) | 70.2 (4.6) | 43.3 (4.0) | 20.8 (4.0) | 23.8 (3.3) | 7.3 (1.8) | 5.5 (2.1)2 | 2.3 (0.9)1 | 3 | 3 |
| Race and Ethnicity | |||||||||||
| Non-Hispanic White | 5,908,017 | 97.0 (1.3) | 72.4 (3.4) | 43.2 (4.8) | 22.9 (3.5) | 21.8 (3.4) | 5.2 (1.7) | 2.2 (0.5) | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Non-Hispanic Black | 1,135,216 | 93.6 (1.7) | 72.8 (3.3) | 58.4 (3.9) | 26.9 (2.4) | 23.4 (3.6) | 6.9 (2.1)1 | 3.2 (1.4)2 | 3 | 4.2 (1.5)1 | 3 |
| Hispanic | 1,715,490 | 96.1 (1.5) | 70.9 (3.6) | 48.7 (4.9) | 22.4 (5.1) | 21.4 (5.1) | 3 | 4.8 (2.2)2 | 2.0 (0.9)2 | 2.1 (0.9)2 | 3 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian | 637,215 | 91.8 (2.7) | 60.4 (4.5) | 70.4 (5.4) | 10.4 (2.9) | 17.3 (3.9) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | |||||||||||
| Non-Asian | |||||||||||
| 18.0–24.9 | 164,656 | 98.1 (2.0) | 95.0 (4.3) | 60.5 (23.5)1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 25.0–29.9 | 1,496,643 | 91.5 (4.3) | 73.4 (6.7) | 58.8 (8.3) | 15.5 (5.8)1 | 19.8 (4.8) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 30.0–34.9 | 2,909,788 | 97.1 (1.4) | 68.8 (5.0) | 54.8 (5.8) | 21.4 (4.7) | 22.8 (4.5) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 35.0–39.9 | 2,105,698 | 96.7 (1.5) | 66.4 (6.5) | 37.3 (5.8) | 23.7 (5.6) | 23.4 (5.1) | 5.7 (1.5) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| ≥40.0 | 1,900,706 | 98.4 (0.8) | 79.0 (4.4) | 30.5 (4.9) | 27.8 (4.3) | 19.6 (4.4) | 3 | 3 | 3.6 (1.3)1 | 3 | 3 |
| Non-Hispanic Asian | |||||||||||
| 18.0–22.9 | 23,696 | 3 | 3 | 71.1 (25.2)1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 23.0–27.4 | 264,360 | 84.4 (6.5) | 58.3 (5.6) | 63.5 (11.9) | 9.0 (4.3)2 | 9.3 (4.1)2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| ≥27.5 | 349,159 | 96.9 (2.3) | 66.2 (6.7) | 75.5 (7.1) | 12.2 (4.3)1 | 22.3 (5.8) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Data are among adults with diagnosed diabetes (N=27,291,313) who reported trying to lose weight in the past year. Adults who reported trying to lose weight in the past year were asked: “How did you try to lose weight?” and responded “yes/no” to items listed in each column. Diagnosed diabetes is self-reported. BMI, body mass index.
Ate less food, switched to foods with lower calories, changed eating habits, ate more fruits, vegetable, salads, drank a lot of water.
Ate less fat, ate fewer carbohydrates, ate less sugar, candy, and sweets, ate less junk food or fast food.
Ate diet foods or products, used a liquid diet formula, such as Slimfast or Optifast, followed a special diet.
Joined a weight loss program, such as Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, TOPS, or Overeaters Anonymous.
Took other pills, medicines, herbs, or supplements not needing a prescription.
Took diet pills prescribed by a doctor.
Took laxatives or vomited; started to smoke or began to smoke again.
Relative standard error >30%–40%
Relative standard error >40%–50%
Estimate is too unreliable to present; relative standard error ≥50% or ≤1 case.
SOURCE: National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys 2015–2020
From: Obesity Management for the Treatment of Type 2 Diabetes
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