Survey: Why Americans say their health improved significantly in 2025
For those who vowed to be healthier in 2025, there’s reason to celebrate, according to the results of a recent Hims study. The survey asked Americans how healthy they consider themselves to be, and 64 percent answered that they felt “healthy” (a 4 or 5 on a 5-point scale), up from 58 percent at the start of the year. Furthermore, “healthy” is now the number-two word Americans use to describe themselves, up from number six in January.
Notably, the word “healthy” increased two to three times more than other words that also saw an uptick. For example, “attractive” gained three percentage points, and “happy” gained two percentage points, as compared to “healthy,” which gained six percentage points.
The Top Words Americans Use to Describe Themselves in 2025
In January of 2025, the survey asked Americans how accurately 25 words — including “happy,” “patriotic,” “lonely,” and more — described them. In August, Hims checked back in. “Healthy” was one of the few words that saw a significant uptick at the end of the eight-month testing period.
Below, check out the top 10 words Americans say describe them in January versus August.
Q: On a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 is "Not at all me," and 5 is "Very much me," how much do you feel each of the following words describes you, personally?
Results reflect the percentage of people who answered either 4 (describes me) or 5 (very much describes me) on a 5-point scale.
Americans Are Prioritizing Mental Health And Sleep
While it’s difficult to say exactly what has bolstered Americans’ perceptions of their own health, some answers may lie in their health priorities. For example, 30 percent of Americans say they are focusing on their mental health — up from 23 percent in January — making it the country’s top health priority. This heightened focus on mental health not only includes therapy and prescription medications but also participating in hobbies that alleviate stress. To that end, 69 percent of respondents report they’ve taken up a new hobby this year to improve their mental health or alleviate stress. Top stress-reducing hobbies, according to survey results, include listening to music (41 percent), walking (37 percent), cooking (28 percent), gaming (24 percent), and reading (23 percent).
Americans are also prioritizing more and better sleep. For 27 percent of respondents in the latter half of 2025, it was a goal to “sleep more,” compared to 17 percent who indicated the same at the start of the year. “Sleeping more” also ranked as the number three way Americans believe they can increase their lifespan, according to survey findings. The medical community agrees. A recent study concluded that getting adequate sleep may support an increased life expectancy for men and women.
The Top Health Goals of the Year, Now Versus Then
In addition to tracking the words Americans use to describe themselves, Hims also tracked America’s top goals from the start of the year. Focusing on mental health and sleep — along with saving more and making a financial plan for the future — topped many people’s lists. Below are the top five goals Americans are prioritizing, now versus then.
Q: Which goals would you most like to achieve this year?
Results reflect the percentage of people who selected each goal.
Financial and Relationship Health Are Also on the Rise
In addition to physical and mental health, Americans are improving their health financially and romantically.
According to results, a third of Americans (33.5 percent) are prioritizing saving more (up from 27 percent in January), and about a quarter (23 percent) have prioritized making a financial plan for their future (versus 19 percent in January). Saving money and planning for the future can reduce day-to-day stress and provide a sense of future security. Not only can this reduced stress improve mental health, but it may also be a boon to physical health, limiting physical presentations of stress, like headaches, insomnia, and forms of sexual dysfunction. Since saving money also helps Americans afford their healthcare needs, financial health can also protect access to better physical health in the future.
Strong relationships may also play a role in America’s healthier outlook. When asked to describe their love life in a single word, “healthy” (25 percent) topped respondents’ lists, followed by “caring” (22 percent), “fun” (21 percent), “passionate” (17 percent), and “perfect” (16 percent). Love may not heal all wounds, but a healthy relationship can directly improve health by improving mental health and life satisfaction, among other benefits.
The Future Looks Bright
Perhaps as a result of feeling healthier on the whole — physically, mentally, financially, and romantically — Americans are also feeling more optimistic about where their lives are headed. In January, 43 percent of Americans reported being happy with their life’s direction; now, that figure jumped up to 53 percent.
As the end of the year is upon us, now is a good time to start considering where you would like to be a year from now, health-wise. And there’s no need to wait until Jan. 1 to begin taking steps to improve your health. Here are a few simple ways to get the ball rolling before the new year.
3 Tips to Kick-Start a Healthy New Year
1. Embrace a Mindful Holiday Season
Consider taking a moderate approach to eating, drinking, and spending over the holidays. Health goals will feel more in reach at the start of the year, and a better financial picture may also help alleviate stress.
2. Explore the Great Outdoors
Winter sports and activities are a great way to stay in shape and stay active during the cooler months. Wallet-friendly activities, like hiking, ice-fishing, and birding, are a way to take in snowscapes without the hefty lift ticket and ski resort prices.
3. “Preset” Your Health Goals
Rather than resetting at the new year, preset your health goals while we’re still in 2025. Intentionally plan what you’d like to change in the coming year and gradually begin working toward these goals now. By 2026, you’ll be well on your way to a healthier year!
Data & Methodology
This study is based on a 6,985-person online survey, which included approximately (1) 5,000 18-to-65-year-old respondents in the top 50 metropolitan areas (100 respondents per city); (2) 5,000 18-to-65-year-old respondents in each of the 50 states (100 respondents per state); and (3) a nationally representative sample of 500 18-to-65-year-old respondents to contextualize results. These three categories are not mutually exclusive; some respondents fall within more than one category. The study was fielded in August 2025.
Findings were analyzed by more than 150 demographic and psychographic cuts, including city, region, gender (when Hims refers to “women” and “men,” that includes all people who self-identify as such), age, race and ethnicity, relationship status, parenting status, sexual orientation (heterosexual, bisexual, gay, lesbian, pansexual, asexual, queer, etc.), fandoms (music, sports, etc.), and fitness and diet preferences, among other areas of interest.
All data in this study are from this source, unless otherwise noted. Independent research firm Culture Co-op conducted and analyzed research and findings.
This story was produced by Hims and reviewed and distributed by Stacker.
