Browse the evidence

Regular exercise reduces oxidatively modified proteins in the brain and improves cognitive function through PTM processes involving histone regulation.

Regular physical activity helps protect the brain from age-related damage. It works by reducing oxidized proteins and improving how genes are regulated in the brain (via histone PTMs). This leads to better cognitive function as you age. Incorporating consistent movement into your routine is a key strategy for maintaining brain health.

In young premenopausal women, vertebral bone mineral density is significantly correlated with physical activity levels, whereas radial bone mineral density is not.

Focus on weight-bearing exercises like walking and running to maximize vertebral bone density. Calcium intake alone is less effective for this specific outcome in young women.

Access to nature, green spaces, and specific neighborhood infrastructure (sidewalks, parks) positively correlates with maintained or increased physical activity during the pandemic, particularly for adults.

If you live in an area with good access to parks, trails, or safe sidewalks, you are more likely to maintain physical activity during restrictions. Urban planners and individuals should prioritize utilizing these available resources to counteract the general trend of reduced activity.

University students, particularly those in non-health majors, exhibit inadequate adherence to physical activity and healthy eating guidelines, with high prevalence of obesity and sedentary behavior.

Knowing healthy habits doesn't guarantee you will practice them. For students, especially in non-health fields, active interventions are needed to bridge the gap between knowledge and action, focusing on environmental changes and time management rather than just education.

Male university students are significantly more likely to engage in physical activity than female students, while female students show greater concern for diet management.

Interventions should be gender-specific. For males, focus on diet quality as they are already active. For females, address cultural and environmental barriers to exercise rather than just providing education.

e-Health and m-Health interventions delivered via mobile phones or the Internet are effective in promoting physical activity and healthy diets in developing countries.

In developing countries, using mobile phones or internet-based programs to encourage exercise and better eating habits is a proven strategy. These digital tools can reach large populations effectively, helping people adopt healthier lifestyles to prevent chronic diseases.

Restaurant calorie labeling interventions produce mixed results on consumer calorie intake, with some evidence of reduced calories purchased in fast-food and cafeteria settings but no significant effect in many real-world restaurant contexts.

Calorie labels on menus are not a guaranteed fix for overeating. They seem to work best in fast-food and cafeteria settings where choices are more standardized, but often fail in full-service restaurants. To make labels effective, they should be simple (like traffic lights) or combined with daily calorie recommendations, rather than just listing numbers.

Modified calorie labels, such as traffic light systems or daily calorie recommendations, can encourage lower-calorie purchases, potentially more effectively than calorie labels alone in some contexts.

If you are designing a menu or choosing food, look for modified labels like traffic lights or daily calorie recommendations. They can help you make lower-calorie choices, especially when combined with plain calorie numbers.

Skipping breakfast is associated with higher energy and carbohydrate intake at dinner, which correlates with overweight/obesity in children.

If you skip breakfast, be aware that you may be compensating by eating more, especially carbohydrates, at dinner. This pattern is linked to higher rates of overweight in children. Consider eating a small breakfast to stabilize intake throughout the day.

College females across all weight statuses (normal, overweight, obese) predominantly use maladaptive or ineffective dieting practices (e.g., skipping breakfast, smoking, laxatives) rather than meeting physical activity guidelines for weight loss.

If you are a college-aged female trying to manage your weight, be aware that 'dieting' often involves unhealthy shortcuts like skipping breakfast or smoking, which are prevalent but harmful. Simply 'exercising' is not enough unless it is vigorous and frequent (over 3 hours/week of heavy activity). Focus on sustainable, moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and balanced nutrition rather than extreme restrictions or harmful behaviors.

Exercise training can improve age-related endothelial dysfunction by reducing oxidative stress and improving the function of potassium channels (KCa) involved in endothelium-derived hyperpolarization (EDHF).

Regular exercise is beneficial for older adults as it can improve endothelial function by reducing oxidative stress and enhancing blood vessel relaxation mechanisms. Even if starting late, exercise can help recover some vascular health.

Multi-level workplace health promotion interventions combining physical activity and/or nutrition with organizational and environmental changes significantly reduce absenteeism.

To reduce absenteeism, employers should implement multi-level health programs that combine individual counseling with organizational and environmental changes, such as providing healthy food options and flexible work policies. These interventions are most effective when sustained over longer periods (e.g., >12 months).

Multi-level workplace interventions involving physical activity and/or nutrition can significantly improve workability and work performance.

Employers can improve employee workability and performance by implementing multi-level health programs that include physical activity and nutrition components, along with organizational and environmental support.

Living in an area with a high ratio of fast-food and convenience stores to grocery stores (high RFEI) within 800 meters of one's home is associated with significantly higher odds of obesity in adults.

If you live in an area with many fast-food and convenience stores but few grocery stores, your risk of obesity is higher. To counter this, prioritize grocery shopping at stores further away if necessary, or focus on finding healthier options within your immediate vicinity. Policy changes like zoning laws can help improve local food environments.

Weight cycling is associated with increased psychopathology, lower life satisfaction, and a higher risk of binge eating and disturbed eating practices.

Be aware that repeated dieting can lead to psychological distress and binge eating. If you find yourself cycling, consider focusing on sustainable lifestyle changes rather than extreme diets to protect your mental health.

Smoking cessation in elderly patients who have suffered a stroke or acute myocardial infarction significantly reduces the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events, with risk levels approaching those of non-smokers after approximately 3 years.

If you smoke, quitting is the single most effective step you can take to protect your heart, especially after a heart attack or stroke. You do not need to wait until you are 'ready'; the benefits start immediately and your risk of another event drops to the level of a non-smoker within three years. Seek support to quit, as the cardiovascular payoff is substantial and time-bound.

Emotional eating, particularly the inability to stop eating sweets or eating when stressed, is strongly associated with greater weight gain during confinement.

If you eat when stressed or can't stop sweets, you are at higher risk for weight gain during stressful periods. Develop non-food coping strategies for stress to protect your weight.

The negative health effects of shift work are mediated by a complex interaction of circadian misalignment, sleep restriction, and social misalignment, which leads to maladaptive lifestyle behaviors such as poor diet, reduced physical activity, and increased smoking/alcohol consumption.

Acknowledge that your schedule makes healthy choices harder. Focus on small, sustainable changes: prepare meals during your day off, choose nutrient-dense snacks for night shifts, and try to get some movement even if it's short. Prioritize sleep quality as much as possible, as it impacts your ability to make healthy choices.

Adherence to a 'convenience, red meat & alcohol' dietary pattern is associated with higher weekly food spending, regular/social smoking, low physical activity, and frequent consumption of take-aways.

If you rely on take-aways and ready meals, you are likely spending more money weekly than students who cook. This pattern is also linked to lower physical activity and smoking. Improving cooking skills and preparing meals from raw ingredients is associated with better dietary patterns and potentially lower costs.

Higher self-reported cooking ability is independently associated with adherence to 'vegetarian' and 'health-conscious' dietary patterns, which have more favorable nutrient profiles than the 'snacking' or 'convenience' patterns.

Developing cooking skills is linked to eating healthier. If you can cook a wide range of meals from raw ingredients, you are more likely to follow a vegetarian or health-conscious diet. Universities should promote cooking engagement to help students improve their diets.

When adherence is strictly monitored (using the app 3 times per week), non-immersive fitness apps can significantly improve cardiorespiratory fitness compared to usual behavior.

If you can commit to using a fitness app three times a week for two months, you will likely see a measurable improvement in your running fitness. The app provides the structure, but you must provide the consistency.

Higher physical activity levels are associated with a decreased prevalence of metabolic syndrome in men, but not significantly in women.

Men should prioritize physical activity to reduce metabolic syndrome risk, as this study shows a clear benefit. Women in this study did not show the same significant association, suggesting other factors (like education) might play a larger role or that the type/intensity of activity matters differently.

Post-viral olfactory and gustatory dysfunction (anosmia/parosmia) causes significant nutritional insufficiency and weight dysregulation (gain or loss) due to altered flavor perception, appetite suppression, and food avoidance.

If you have lost your sense of smell or taste after COVID, expect changes in your weight and eating habits. You may lose weight because food tastes bad, or gain weight because you crave strong flavors (salt/sugar) to compensate. Focus on texture and temperature to make food tolerable, and prioritize nutrient-dense foods that are less offensive to your altered senses. Seek support groups to manage the psychological burden, as this is a recognized medical issue, not just a minor annoyance.

Parosmia (distorted smell) leads to the consumption of highly processed, sugary, or fatty foods as a compensatory mechanism to achieve sensory satisfaction, potentially compromising diet quality.

When your sense of smell is gone, your brain may crave strong flavors (salt, sugar, spice) to feel satisfied. This can lead to overeating processed foods. Try to satisfy these cravings with healthy alternatives that offer strong textures (crunchy, creamy) or safe spices, rather than just sugar and fat. Monitor your intake to prevent unwanted weight gain.