Most Adults Have Heard of ‘Metabolic Health,’ but Few Understand It, a New Survey Finds

Metabolic health is a buzzword these days: Wellness influencers discuss it, and maybe your doctor has brought it up, too. But a recent online survey fielded by YouGov on behalf of Everyday Health in July 2026, and involving nearly 3,000 U.S. adults, reveals that most people either haven’t heard the term or don’t fully understand what it means (80 percent), and many people have knowledge gaps about key areas that impact metabolic health.

These gaps can have a significant effect, as good metabolic health — such as keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check and maintaining a healthy weight — can help prevent chronic disease and promote longevity. Other markers of metabolic health include blood sugar and triglyceride levels.

“The survey shows that patients need help seeing the big picture when it comes to their metabolic health,” says Nan-Kirsten Forte, MS, chief growth officer and executive vice president and general manager of Everyday Health. “They recognize the importance of isolated markers like weight or blood pressure. But they aren’t connecting the dots to see how these factors affect their metabolic health and its role in their overall health and longevity.”

In the survey, 48 percent of U.S. adults had heard the term “metabolic health” but weren’t sure what it meant, and 32 percent said the term was new to them.

Knowledge gaps about the pillars of metabolic health exist, including:

• 62 percent didn’t correctly link low HDL (“good”) cholesterol's possible connection to poor metabolic health.
• 48 percent didn’t realize that metabolic health isn’t only about body weight.
• 48 percent said blood pressure had “little connection” to metabolic health or were unsure.

“I would say those estimates track with my experience talking to people,” says John Thyfault, PhD, a professor at KU Medical Center and a spokesperson for the Obesity Society. Dr. Thyfault was not involved with the survey.

He says that people often don’t understand the relationship between blood glucose, fat metabolism, and conditions such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Arthi Thirumalai, MD, an endocrinologist with UW Medicine in Seattle, says her patients also incorrectly believe they’re in “good metabolic health” if they’re thin and in “bad metabolic health” if they’re overweight. But “it’s not as simple as that,” says Dr. Thirumalai, who was not involved in the survey.

Despite these misunderstandings, 74 percent of U.S. adults correctly agreed that maintaining healthy blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and waist circumference may support healthy aging, but they struggle with how exactly to achieve these metrics.

A strong area of understanding: 68 percent correctly rejected the idea that only people with diabetes need to watch their blood sugar.

“Metabolic health is critical for a long and healthy life,” says Thyfault, and improving metabolic health can happen at any age and have long-term health effects, such as lowering your risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Blood pressure and cholesterol are topics that U.S. adults said they most commonly discuss with their doctor. But these conversations appear to neglect other important topics:

• 57 percent had never discussed muscle mass.
• 48 percent had never discussed liver health.
• 40 percent had never discussed triglyceride levels.

“Body composition matters because lean mass, which includes muscle, is the most critical component of how much energy the body uses,” says Karen Corbin, PhD, a spokesperson for the Obesity Society and an associate investigator for the AdventHealth Research Institute in Orlando, Florida. Dr. Corbin was not involved with the survey.

“Muscle mass is also essential for mobility, independence, and quality of life,” she says. “Healthy muscle function is a key component of health because it is the foundation of many metabolic processes.”

Adverse metabolic health can affect the liver, as it can store excess fat, which can increase your risk for cardiovascular disease, Thirumalai says.

When it comes to medical care, 61 percent of U.S. adults reported that they felt confident they're receiving the medical supervision and guidance they need to make informed decisions about their health, according to the survey.

However, 28 percent had bypassed traditional clinics to obtain a prescription via telehealth without an in-person visit. These telehealth prescription users were primarily seeking medications to treat such conditions as mental health (27 percent) and weight loss (16 percent).

The survey results suggest that many people are interested in learning more about metabolic health, and 48 percent were likely to talk to their doctors about improving theirs.

Most of the interest is symptom based, with 55 percent of adults saying they were interested in learning more about energy levels and fatigue, and 50 percent about weight management in the context of their metabolic health.

“Fatigue is not a direct marker of metabolic health, but by virtue of decreasing a person’s activity levels, it can be a harbinger of it,” Thirumalai says.

Weight is just one component of metabolic health, Corbin says. “Healthy eating, hydration, living an active lifestyle, managing stress, and getting plenty of sleep are critical to overall health. Focusing only on reaching a specific weight goal while ignoring whole-person health is not the best strategy for improving metabolic health.”

Millennials and Gen Xers, who are old enough to be managing early cardiometabolic risk but young enough to be digitally engaged, had the strongest understanding of metabolic health in the survey. Meanwhile, Gen Zers and those in the Silent Generation had the lowest understanding.

Hispanic adults reported the highest curiosity about metabolic health, with 73 percent saying “tell me more.” Of all the groups surveyed, Hispanic adults also expressed the highest interest in weight management and its role in overall metabolic health (61 percent). Black adults were the most likely to describe themselves as proactive about health issues (65 percent said they “get ahead of it”) and the most likely to describe themselves as somewhat or very likely to talk to their doctor about ways to improve their overall metabolic health (59 percent).

“Metabolic health is critical for a long and healthy life,” Thyfault says, and improving metabolic health can happen at any age and have long-term health effects, such as lowering your risk for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes.

Corbin says you can improve your metabolic health in various ways. “The goal is to stack the deck each day with as many beneficial health habits as possible,” Corbin says. “Small changes like taking a walk outside, drinking more water, adding high fiber foods to a meal, and taking a few minutes to breathe deeply can add up over time.”

All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from YouGov Plc. Total sample size was 2,874 adults. Fieldwork was undertaken between July 10 and 14, 2026. The survey was carried out online. The figures have been weighted and are representative of all U.S. adults, ages 18 and older.