- The report is based on a US survey of more than 2,000 adults that captured the perspectives, attitudes, and experiences of healthcare professionals and adults living with and without obesity1
- Crafted alongside leading obesity specialists and advocates who have devoted their careers to transforming the landscape of obesity care
PLAINSBORO, N.J., Jan. 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, Novo Nordisk announced the debut of the State of Weight and Health Report™, a first-of-its-kind initiative from Novo Nordisk to shine an additional light on obesity in America, which presents multifaceted challenges.1,2 Offering fresh insights from a US survey of healthcare professionals and adults across the weight spectrum, the report delivers an in-depth look at weight at the intersection of health, lifestyle, and culture.1
To bring the report's central theme, what we call the 'Obesity Trap,' to life, a special exhibit will be on display at New York's Grand Central Terminal through January 7. The central theme of the State of Weight and Health Report™ is what we are calling the 'Obesity Trap', a web of competing forces that make people living with obesity feel caught between multiple personal and societal stressors: their biology vs culture, personal efforts vs systemic barriers, internal motivation vs external stigma.1 The report will be released annually, with each year's issue spotlighting a different facet of obesity in America. The full report, along with key statistics is available at www.stateofweightandhealth.com.
"Thirty years ago, Novo Nordisk took on one of healthcare's toughest challenges: obesity. Since then, we've worked to help bring visibility, and a voice, to the millions of people living with it," said Ed Cinca, Senior Vice President of Marketing & Patient Solutions at Novo Nordisk. "This new resource is designed to deepen understanding of the many factors that shape the lived experience of obesity. And it's through continued learning and empathy that we can take meaningful action to strengthen support and care for the obesity community. We are proud of our continued leadership in obesity and how this resource can help assist others, especially as more organizations join us in tackling this epidemic."
Developed with leading market research company, Ipsos, and guided by a multidisciplinary panel of obesity experts and advocates, Novo Nordisk's State of Weight and Health Report™ serves as a free, industry-wide resource for those with a vested interest in obesity — including people living with it, healthcare professionals, policymakers, advocates, employers, and community leaders.
Key themes that emerged from the inaugural report
- Obesity can touch every demographic, but experiences with weight management can differ widely across lifestyle, generation, ethnicity, and income.1,3
- Topics like patient and healthcare professional perceptions of obesity care, potential impact of time scarcity on sustained lifestyle changes, and how fears of weight-related judgment can impact dating, especially among women surveyed, will be brought to life in the immersive exhibit.1
- People with obesity are constantly navigating multiple dynamics that can make losing weight and keeping it off difficult.4 Ever-present tensions can entangle individuals and families in what we are calling the Obesity Trap.1
"To effectively address this epidemic, we must acknowledge its roots in both individual biology and societal structure. These findings point to the urgent need for more inclusive, compassionate approaches to obesity care that are tailored to individual circumstances," said Holly Lofton, MD, Director of NYU Langone Health Weight Management Program and member of the report expert panel. "In taking a comprehensive look at how real-world challenges and perceptions of what we call the Obesity Trap differ among Americans living with obesity, we can expand our understanding and help drive more empathetic strategies."
Immersive exhibit in New York City
A display of what we call the Obesity Trap will be on exhibit through Wednesday, January 7, at New York's Grand Central Terminal in the Graybar Passage, a major thoroughfare from Lexington Avenue into the Main Concourse of Grand Central.
- This exhibit invites visitors to explore three immersive dimensions of what we call the Obesity Trap through dynamic displays, which will rotate daily.
- Visitors can engage with the exhibit and access the State of Weight and Health website, where they can dive deeper, download the full report, and be part of the conversation.
About the State of Weight and Health Report™
The State of Weight and Health Report™ was created by Novo Nordisk and is based on a US survey of 709 healthcare professionals, 1,016 people living with obesity, and 762 adults without obesity.1
Ipsos fielded two separate online, 30-minute, self-administered, cross-sectional surveys in May 2025: one among US adults — including those living with obesity — via the probability-based KnowledgePanel®, and another among US healthcare professionals (HCPs). In August 2025, a 5-minute follow-up survey was administered to subsets of people living with obesity (498) and to HCPs (462) who had agreed to be recontacted for further research. In order to participate in the survey, all HCPs had to be a practicing Primary Care Physician/General Practitioner/Family Medicine or Internal Medicine [PCP], Nurse Practitioner/Physician Assistant [NP/PA] in a Primary Care Physician/General Practitioner/Family Medicine or Internal Medicine office, Endocrinologist/Diabetologist [Endocrinologist], Obstetrician and Gynecologist (OB/GYN), Nephrologist, or Cardiologist.1
Developed with obesity specialists and advocates
An expert panel of HCPs and obesity advocates helped develop the survey questionnaires before fielding and interpreting the survey results: Dr. Angela Golden, family nurse practitioner and owner/sole provider, NP From Home and NP Obesity Treatment Clinic, Flagstaff, Arizona, and Vice President of Clinical Affairs at The Obesity Society; Dr. Veronica Johnson, Assistant Professor, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and obesity medicine specialist, Northwestern Medicine's Center for Lifestyle Medicine; Dr. Holly Lofton, Weight Management Program Director, NYU Langone Health; Patty Nece, JD, Weight Bias Committee Chair and Board Member, Obesity Action Coalition (OAC); and Joe Nadglowski, President and CEO, Obesity Action Coalition.
About Ipsos
Ipsos is the world's third-largest market research company, present in 90 markets and employing more than 18,000 people. Their passionately curious research professionals, analysts, and scientists have built unique multi-specialist capabilities that provide true understanding and powerful insights into the actions, opinions and motivations of citizens, consumers, patients, customers, or employees. Ipsos serves more than 5,000 clients across the world with 75 business solutions.
About Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk is a leading global healthcare company with a heritage of more than 100 years. Building on this foundation, our purpose is to drive change to defeat serious chronic diseases by pioneering scientific breakthroughs, expanding access to medicines, and working to prevent and ultimately cure disease. We are committed to long-term, responsible business practices that deliver financial, social and environmental value. In the United States, Novo Nordisk has a 40-year presence, is headquartered in New Jersey and employs over 10,000 people across more than 10 manufacturing, R&D and corporate locations in eight states plus Washington, D.C. For more information, visit novonordisk.com, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
Contacts for further information | ||
Media: | ||
Liz Skrbkova (US) | Jamie Bennett (US) | |
Investors: | ||
Frederik Taylor Pitter (US) +1 609 613 0568 | Jacob Martin Wiborg Rode (Global) | |
Sina Meyer (Global) +45 3079 6656 | Christoffer Sho Togo Tullin (Global) | |
Max Ung (Global) | Alex Bruce (Global) +45 34 44 26 13 | |
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References
- Data on file. Novo Nordisk Inc. Plainsboro, NJ. Data Source: Ipsos.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Overweight and obesity. Last accessed: November 2025. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/php/about/consequences.html.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Adult obesity facts. Last accessed: November 2025. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult-obesity-facts/index.html.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Risk Factors for Obesity. Last accessed: December 2025. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/risk-factors/risk-factors.html.
© 2025 Novo Nordisk All rights reserved. US25OB00664 January 2026
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