image: A new nationwide survey found that The American public is highly aware that obesity is medically treatable and that reducing it will also save people from a wide variety of other serious diseases.
Credit: The Reis Group
BETHESDA, MD (Nov. 19, 2025) — Nearly two-thirds of Americans (63%) know that obesity is a chronic disease rather than a personal failure and more than 8 in 10 believe that insurance should cover its treatment, whether it be medications or surgeries, according to a new nationwide survey conducted by The Harris Poll on behalf of the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA).
“The American public is highly aware that obesity is medically treatable and that reducing it will also save people from a wide variety of other serious diseases,” said Pooja Singhal, MD, AGAF, gastroenterologist, hepatologist, and obesity medicine specialist at Oklahoma Gastro Health and Wellness. “Despite this awareness, access to treatment, particularly because of cost, is a major barrier. This AGA survey reinforces the urgent need for increased coverage of safe, effective, and life-saving treatments for obesity.”
Two-thirds of Americans (66%) say they are familiar with weight loss trends (e.g., keto and intermittent fasting), and nearly 6 in 10 are familiar with new weight-loss medications and surgeries. Still, more than 4 in 5 (81%) cite barriers that make or would make it difficult or prevent them from accessing treatment if they need it. Top roadblocks cited include high out-of-pocket costs (50%) and a lack of insurance coverage for procedures or medications (40%), among other obstacles.
More than half of Americans (57%) believe losing weight requires the assistance of a health care provider. Eight in 10 (80%) say that gastroenterologists play a crucial role in obesity care, but 61% also say they cannot afford weight-loss interventions beyond personal lifestyle changes. Some also report that difficulties finding an available provider (24%) and experiencing long wait times for appointments or procedures (23%) are, or would be, barriers to accessing weight-loss treatment if they needed it.
“When it comes to weight management and obesity care, gastroenterologists should be considered providers of direct care,” Dr. Singhal said. “Many serious GI-related medical conditions like metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) are associated with obesity and could be treated or resolved with weight management.”
Medicare cannot currently cover weight-loss medications for patients without a co-occurring medical condition unless lawmakers change the law. Lawmakers first introduced the bipartisan Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) in 2013 to expand Medicare coverage and improve access to obesity-prevention and treatment tools, including prescription medications and intensive behavioral therapy. Unfortunately, despite strong support, TROA has languished in Congress and has been reintroduced in every Congressional session for the past 12 years.
“There is an urgent need for expanded access to affordable, effective treatments for obesity,” said Shazia M. Siddique, MD, MSHP, AGA Government Affairs Committee and assistant professor of medicine, division of gastroenterology, University of Pennsylvania. “Passing TROA is one way to expand access and improve early intervention and treatment options, helping patients live healthier, more productive lives.”
Additional findings of note:
- About seven of 10 Americans (73%) say they have been diagnosed with a medical condition by a health care provider, including 17% with obesity. The latter group was more likely to suffer from other illnesses and more likely to cite difficulties obtaining weight loss treatment (91% vs. 79% not diagnosed with obesity).
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Americans named a mix of behavioral and genetic conditions as contributors to obesity, including eating patterns/nutrition (70%), level of physical activity (67%), mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression (61%), and genetics (58%).
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87% of Americans believe obesity increases the risk (or can worsen existing symptoms) of other chronic conditions.
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Nearly 2 in 3 Americans (64%) understand the connection between obesity and a person’s specific risk for liver disease.
For more information on obesity, available treatment options, and how to access them, visit the American Gastroenterological Association’s Obesity Resource Center at https://patient.gastro.org/obesity/.
Novo Nordisk supported this AGA survey.
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Survey Method
This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of the AGA from Oct. 8-10, 2025, among 2,087 U.S. adults ages 18+, and from Oct. 14-16, 2025, among 2,084 U.S. adults ages 18+. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within 2.5 % points at the 95% confidence level. This credible interval will be wider among subsets of the surveyed population of interest. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Lauren Musiol (lmusiol@thereisgroup.com).
About the AGA Institute
The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in 1897, AGA represents members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science, practice, and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice, research, and educational programs of the organization. www.gastro.org
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About The Harris Poll
The Harris Poll is a global public opinion, analytics, and market research consultancy that strives to reveal society’s authentic values to inspire leaders to create a better tomorrow. With a global research reach of more than 90 countries, Harris offers advisory services across sectors to world leaders, CEOs, and business decision-makers, leveraging state-of-the-art analytics, real-time software services, and practitioners in marketing, reputation, customer experience, trends, futures, and thought leadership/research for public release. The Harris Poll translates shifting social sentiment into a competitive marketplace advantage. Harris is a Stagwell (NASDAQ: STGW) company. www.theharrispoll.com.