Browse the evidence

Endoscopic Bariatric Therapies (EBTs) such as ESG and intragastric balloons are largely unknown to patients, with 78.2% unaware of their existence as weight loss options.

Most patients do not know that endoscopic weight loss procedures (like ESG or balloons) exist. If you are seeking weight loss, ask your provider about all options, including endoscopic therapies, as they may not be discussed unless you ask.

Sustained ad libitum consumption of an ultra-processed diet for two weeks does not significantly alter sweet or salty taste detection thresholds or preferences compared to an unprocessed diet.

Eating ultra-processed foods for two weeks does not change your basic ability to taste salt or sugar, nor does it change what you prefer. If you are overeating on these foods, look at factors like eating speed or energy density rather than assuming your taste buds have adapted.

Seasonal variations in glycemic control (HbA1c) and body mass index (BMI) in older adults with type 2 diabetes are preserved and not disrupted by lifestyle modifications associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

For older adults with type 2 diabetes, do not assume that pandemic-related lifestyle changes (like staying home more) will necessarily disrupt your seasonal blood sugar patterns. The body's seasonal metabolic rhythm (typically better control in autumn, higher in spring) appears robust and may persist even when daily habits change. Focus on managing these known seasonal fluctuations in your treatment plan rather than expecting lifestyle changes to reset your baseline metabolic rhythm.

GLP-1 receptor activation in the brain reduces the reward value of food, suggesting potential therapeutic applications for treating addiction to food and substances of abuse.

Research suggests that GLP-1 medications might help treat addiction by changing how your brain rewards food or substances. If you struggle with addictive behaviors, this emerging area of science offers hope for treatments that target the brain's reward system directly.

Collegiate student-athletes have low knowledge of nutritional supplements and third-party-tested (TPT) logos, and this lack of recognition does not correlate with their actual use of TPT supplements.

If you are a collegiate athlete, do not assume that recognizing a third-party testing logo means you are using safe supplements. The study shows that knowing the logo does not predict whether you actually use TPT products. Your overall knowledge of supplements is likely lower than you think (median 33% correct). To mitigate doping risk, do not rely on logos alone. Verify every specific product batch on the testing organization's official website, regardless of whether you received nutritional counseling from your athletic department.

Access to obesity treatment in Canada is inequitable, with patients having high socioeconomic status being overrepresented in treatment programs compared to the general population of people with obesity, who are more likely to have lower socioeconomic status.

If you have a lower income, you may face barriers to accessing obesity treatment due to lack of insurance coverage. Advocate for yourself and your community for better access to affordable treatments. There are resources and programs that may help, and discussing financial concerns with your doctor is important.

Patients often learn about semaglutide and tirzepatide from social media and support groups rather than healthcare providers, who act as 'gatekeepers' rather than initial educators.

If you are interested in semaglutide or tirzepatide, do not assume your doctor will bring it up. You likely learned about it from social media or friends. Bring this information to your appointment, as providers may not be the initial source of this information but are necessary for safe access.

Tirzepatide use is strongly associated with a high frequency of dosing errors, particularly incorrect dose administration, which increases significantly over time and correlates with strong statistical safety signals.

If you are using tirzepatide, be aware that dosing errors are the most common side effect reported. The once-weekly schedule and mandatory dose increases can be confusing. Use a calendar or app to track your injections and strictly follow the titration steps to avoid mistakes.

Tirzepatide is associated with injection-site reactions, particularly pain, which are consistent with the class of GLP-1/GIP agonists and are typically mild and transient.

Injection site pain is a common side effect of tirzepatide. It is usually mild and goes away. Proper injection technique and counseling can help reduce this discomfort and help you stick with your treatment.

Primary care physicians' proactivity in prescribing pharmaceutical weight loss treatments is significantly correlated with their belief in the efficacy of those treatments and their specific knowledge of the agents, whereas lack of knowledge is the predominant barrier for less proactive physicians.

For primary care physicians, the key to expanding obesity treatment options is not just access to drugs, but targeted education and clear guidelines. Physicians who feel knowledgeable and confident are significantly more likely to prescribe effective pharmaceutical interventions like liraglutide. Updating guidelines and providing continuous education can directly increase proactive prescribing.

In routine clinical practice, sporadic individual dietary consultations do not significantly improve adherence to the Mediterranean diet in patients with type 2 diabetes.

If you have type 2 diabetes, simply attending a dietitian appointment once or twice a year is unlikely to change your diet significantly. To get results, you need intensive, ongoing support that provides concrete tools and food, not just sporadic advice. If you feel you already know how to eat well, focus on maintaining that consistency rather than seeking more general advice.

The protective effect of psychological resilience on physical disability and grip strength is attenuated in individuals with frequent hospitalizations (2+ per year).

If you have been hospitalized frequently, psychological resilience might not be enough to maintain your physical strength on its own. This doesn't mean resilience is worthless, but it suggests that for those with high medical burden, resilience must be supported by robust medical care and physical therapy. Focus on preventing hospitalizations to allow resilience to do its protective work.

Routine antibiotic prophylaxis following uncomplicated vaginal delivery does not significantly reduce the incidence of postpartum infections and may contribute to antimicrobial resistance without clear clinical benefit.

For uncomplicated vaginal deliveries, routine antibiotic prophylaxis is not recommended as it does not reduce infection rates and contributes to antibiotic resistance. Focus on hygiene and monitoring for signs of infection rather than preemptive medication.

GLP-1 agonists are likely unaffordable for universal healthcare systems due to high prevalence of OSA and high drug costs, potentially exacerbating healthcare inequities.

Be aware that GLP-1 agonists are expensive and may not be covered by public health insurance for OSA, creating a barrier to access for lower-income patients.

Early interactive human health coaching via a mobile application improves dietary adaptation and quality of life (specifically reducing eating restriction) in patients who underwent gastrectomy for gastric cancer compared to conventional face-to-face counseling.

If you have had stomach cancer surgery, using a dedicated health app with a real dietitian for 3 months after discharge may help you adjust to eating smaller, more frequent meals with less trial and error than standard hospital visits alone. Ensure you have a smartphone or a caregiver to help you log your food and weight daily.

Interactive nutrition education combined with behavior change techniques (e.g., goal setting) improves dietary intake and reduces nutritional risk in community-dwelling older adults.

For older adults looking to improve their diet, joining a group-based nutrition program that includes interactive education and goal setting is a promising strategy. While the evidence quality is low, the approach addresses common barriers like isolation and lack of knowledge. Look for community programs that emphasize interaction and practical behavior change techniques rather than just passive lectures.

Phenotype-prioritized treatment selection (SGLT2i for HF/CKD, GLP-1RA for ASCVD/Obesity) optimizes outcomes and reduces polypharmacy compared to single-disease guidelines.

Ask your doctor for a 'phenotype-first' approach. Instead of treating each condition separately, choose drugs that protect your heart, kidneys, and metabolism all at once. This can simplify your medication list and reduce side effects.

Personalization and gamification are crucial elements for motivation and engagement in running applications.

When choosing or designing a running app, look for features that allow you to set specific goals and customize notifications. Gamified elements like badges or social sharing can boost motivation if they align with your personal values. Avoid apps that offer only generic advice.

Standardizing dietary interventions by objective diet quality (e.g., HEI-2020) while allowing variable diet types (cultural/personalized) improves adherence and external validity compared to fixed-type, one-size-fits-all interventions.

Focus on the quality of your diet (vegetables, fruits, legumes, nutrient density) rather than forcing yourself into a specific named diet (like Keto or strict Mediterranean) if it clashes with your culture or preferences. Use tools to measure your diet quality objectively. If you can maintain high quality while eating foods you culturally and personally enjoy, you will adhere better and see better long-term health outcomes.

Food Is Medicine (FIM) interventions, including produce prescriptions and medically tailored meals, show promise in improving diet quality and food security, but current evidence is insufficient to definitively establish their effectiveness on clinical outcomes or cost savings due to small sample sizes and lack of randomized controlled trials.

To improve health through diet, simply knowing what to eat is often not enough due to structural barriers like cost and access. Food Is Medicine programs attempt to bridge this gap by providing healthy food directly (via vouchers or meals) alongside healthcare. While these programs show promise in improving diet quality, they are not yet proven to significantly reduce clinical events or healthcare costs due to limited high-quality research. Patients should look for programs that integrate food provision with healthcare support, especially if they face food insecurity.

Strict exercise technique (minimizing involvement of ancillary muscle groups) is recommended over non-strict technique (using momentum or body sway) to ensure the target muscle receives the primary hypertrophic stimulus and adheres to recommended tempo and ROM.

Aim for strict form by minimizing body sway and momentum, especially if the assisting muscles are not being effectively trained (e.g., hip extensors during bicep curls). This ensures the target muscle handles the load and adheres to the recommended 2-8 second tempo and long muscle length ROM. However, if assisting muscles are also at long muscle lengths, some involvement may be acceptable.

Supervised exercise interventions produce larger reductions in depressive symptoms than unsupervised interventions.

To maximize mental health benefits, seek out supervised exercise programs. The data shows supervised exercise has large effects, while unsupervised exercise has smaller effects. If supervision is not possible, start with any exercise, but recognize that professional guidance significantly boosts efficacy.

At a population level, distributing GLP-1 medications using extended dosing intervals (q2wk) allows twice as many obese adults to be treated for the same total cost, leading to greater reductions in national obesity rates and mortality.

For policymakers and insurers, extending GLP-1 dosing intervals to every two weeks allows the same budget to treat twice as many people. While each individual might lose slightly less weight, the overall public health benefit (reduced obesity and mortality) is significantly higher. This is a key strategy for making these drugs accessible at a national scale.

At a population level, distributing GLP-1 medications using less frequent dosing regimens (e.g., every two weeks) allows twice as many obese adults to be treated with the same total drug supply, leading to greater reductions in national obesity rates and mortality compared to standard once-weekly dosing.

This finding is primarily for policymakers and insurers. It suggests that subsidizing GLP-1 drugs for less frequent dosing could save more lives by allowing more people to access treatment. For individual patients, this means that getting on a GLP-1 drug, even at a lower dose or frequency, is better than not getting it at all.