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2026 health trends: GLP-1s, wearable technology, food as medicine
January 05, 2026
2 min read
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Key takeaways:
- Experts predict the expansion of GLP-1 receptor agonists will be the year’s most impactful health trend.
- The Mediterranean diet is the leading choice for long-term health and weight management.
This year’s top health trend will be the expanded use of GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat chronic disease, according to experts surveyed by the editors of U.S. News and World Report
Tied for second place was the growth of wearable technology with AI integration and “food as medicine,” or treatment plans that incorporate a nutritious diet into chronic disease management
The 2026 U.S. News’ survey drew responses from 58 experts in a variety of fields, including physicians, registered dieticians and health researchers. This year’s report is more expansive than previous years’ reports, touching on top health trends, nutrition and healthy goals in addition to top diets
The experts predicted that GLP-1 use will continue to expand in the new year for conditions beyond obesity and type 2 diabetes, particularly heart disease, kidney disease and addiction
They also anticipate wearable technology like smart watches, fitness trackers and continuous glucose monitors with AI integration features will contribute to healthy behavioral changes, though they recommend health care professionals help their patients understand what the information their devices gather means for their health
In terms of nutrition and chronic disease management, the panel of experts recommended increasing fiber intake to reduce the risk for colorectal cancer and improve digestive health
The experts named the Mediterranean diet the most effective nutrition strategy for weight management, highlighting its focus on legumes and other whole foods as the reason it is effective. In the past, U.S. Newsranked the best diets in several areas, including best overall diet and best diets for weight loss, mental health and diabetes, among others. The Mediterranean diet topped the best overall diet list for 8 years. This year, however, the expert panel voted on which single nutrition recommendation is most important for reducing chronic disease. About 70% chose the Mediterranean diet, while others chose plant-based (21%), low-carb (5%), low-carb and low-fat (2%) and low-calorie (2%) eating patterns.
The panel also weighed in on New Year’s resolutions, with the majority recommending incremental lifestyle changes to ensure New Year’s goals are sustainable
The first-choice resolution, as voted by 52% of the panel, was to add more beneficial foods, like vegetables and whole grains, to diets
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