About half of Americans say they're trying to lose weight

If you are trying to lose weight, new data indicate that you are far from being alone. 49% of US adults surveyed between 2013 and 2016 reported trying to lose weight at some point in the past 12 months, according to a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Center (NCHS). Prevention

. more likely than men to report trying to lose weight, finds the data, which are based on responses to the National Health and Nutrition Survey. Overall, 56.4% of women said they had been trying to slim down, compared to 41.7% of men – and in every age, race, income and age group. starting weight analyzed by NCHS

. groups, researchers have noticed interesting models. Seniors, for example, were less likely than younger adults to report an attempt at weight loss: About 43% of adults aged 60 and over reported trying to lose weight last year compared to 52 % of adults aged 40 to 59 and about half of those aged 20 to 39, according to the report.

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Socio-economics also seemed to play a role. As the level of family income increased, the percentage of people who said they wanted to lose weight increased. And about half of the white, black, and Hispanic adults surveyed said they were trying to lose weight, compared to about 41 percent of Asian adults.

Finally, the researchers noticed that the higher the starting weight of a person, the more he had to try to drop pounds. About two-thirds of adults with obesity, half of overweight adults and a quarter of normal or underweight adults said that they had tried to lose weight, according to the report.

Exercising and eating less were the two most common weight loss strategies, each used by about 63% of people trying to lose weight. Many people also said that they were trying to eat more products and drink more water, and reduce junk food, fast food or sweets. The vast majority of people trying to lose weight (88%) said that they were using two or more of these strategies or other strategies.

As to which of these methods is the best, the answer is that different things work for different people. supports some universal behaviors, such as removing soft drinks and sugary drinks, avoiding a sedentary lifestyle and focusing on food quality, rather than just on calories.