Browse the evidence

Short sleep duration (< 7 hours per night) and long sleep duration (> 8 hours per night) are both associated with increased levels of inflammatory markers (IL-6 and CRP) and higher all-cause mortality risk compared to normal sleep (7-8 hours).

Aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Both sleeping less than 7 hours and more than 8 hours is associated with increased inflammation (IL-6, CRP) and higher mortality risk. Prioritize consistent, adequate sleep duration over excessive sleep.

Physical inactivity is highly prevalent across all stages of chronic kidney disease (CKD), with prevalence worsening as disease progresses, reaching a nadir in patients requiring dialysis.

If you have kidney disease, know that being inactive is very common, especially as your condition advances or if you are on dialysis. This is not your fault; factors like fatigue, treatment schedules, and fear of harm are real barriers. Start small: even short, moderate walks (30-60 mins, 3x/week) are safe and beneficial. Focus on building confidence (self-efficacy) and readiness to change rather than intense workouts immediately.

Higher total daily sedentary time is independently associated with increased cancer mortality risk in middle-aged and older adults, regardless of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) levels.

If you are over 45, your total daily sitting time matters for your long-term survival risk, independent of how much you exercise. Use an accelerometer or pedometer to track total sedentary minutes. Aim to reduce total sitting time, not just to 'get your workout in,' but to lower your baseline risk profile.

Circadian misalignment, such as night-shift work or irregular eating patterns, impairs hepatic metabolic function and increases the risk of developing NAFLD and insulin resistance.

Maintain a consistent sleep-wake cycle and try to align your eating window with your active hours. Disrupting your body's internal clock (e.g., through night shifts or late-night eating) can worsen insulin resistance and increase the risk of fatty liver, even if your diet is otherwise healthy.

Personalized nutrition approaches should align with population-based recommendations for healthy individuals, with substantial divergence requiring significant scientific justification.

For healthy people, personalized nutrition should generally stay within standard healthy eating guidelines. If a program suggests a radical diet, it should provide strong scientific reasons for why it differs from standard advice.

High neighborhood fast-food outlet exposure is independently associated with higher BMI, body fat, and obesity odds, with a dose-response relationship observed across quartiles of exposure.

If you live in an area with many fast-food outlets, your risk of obesity is higher, even if you have a good income. This is likely because easy access makes unhealthy food the default choice. To counter this, be aware of your environment and plan your meals in advance to avoid relying on nearby fast-food options.

Low household income is independently associated with higher BMI, body fat, and obesity odds, with a dose-response relationship observed across income levels.

If you have a lower income, your risk of obesity is higher, even if you live in an area with few fast-food outlets. This is likely because budget constraints lead to cheaper, energy-dense food choices. To counter this, prioritize affordable, nutrient-dense foods like beans, lentils, and seasonal vegetables.

The combination of lowest household income and highest fast-food outlet exposure results in a 'double burden' with greater odds of obesity and frequent processed meat consumption than either factor alone, demonstrating additive interaction.

If you have a low income and live in an area with many fast-food outlets, your risk of obesity is significantly higher than if you only had one of these risk factors. This is because budget constraints and easy access to unhealthy food interact to make healthy eating very difficult. To counter this, focus on strategies that address both cost and access, such as meal planning and seeking out affordable, healthy food options.

Subjective feelings of loneliness are robustly associated with poorer sleep quality (specifically subjective quality and daytime dysfunction) in young adults, independent of social isolation, psychopathology, and genetic/family confounds.

If you are feeling lonely, expect your sleep quality to suffer, specifically how rested you feel and your daytime energy, even if you get enough hours in bed. This is not just 'in your head' but a documented physiological response involving threat vigilance. Addressing the underlying social connection or cognitive perception of isolation may be more effective for sleep than standard sleep hygiene alone.

The deleterious effects of total sitting time on HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and post-load glucose become significantly more severe as the duration of uninterrupted sitting bouts increases.

Be aware that sitting for long periods (e.g., >30 mins) is worse for your cholesterol and blood sugar than sitting for the same total time in shorter chunks. If you have a long meeting or drive, try to break it up if possible to mitigate the metabolic impact.

Increased sleep irregularity (defined as higher standard deviation of daily sleep duration) is associated with increased odds of incident obesity, essential hypertension, hyperlipidemia, major depressive disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder.

Focus on keeping your sleep schedule consistent. Going to bed and waking up at roughly the same time every day is critical for preventing obesity, hypertension, and depression, even if you are getting the recommended 7-9 hours of total sleep. Use wearable data to track your sleep regularity (consistency) rather than just total hours.

In adults over 66 years, high protein intake is associated with reduced all-cause and cancer mortality compared to low protein intake, likely to prevent sarcopenia and frailty.

If you are over 66, ensure you are getting adequate protein. Low protein intake in this age group is linked to higher death rates, likely due to muscle loss and frailty. Focus on high-quality protein sources.

The implementation of a tiered Soft Drinks Industry Levy (SDIL) in the UK accelerated the reformulation of soft drinks, resulting in a 30% reduction in per capita sugar sales from 2015 to 2018.

Government policies that financially penalize high-sugar products (like the UK's Soft Drinks Industry Levy) effectively drive manufacturers to reformulate their recipes. This results in a significant, measurable decrease in the amount of sugar available to consumers, demonstrating that fiscal policy can successfully alter industry behavior and public health outcomes.

Early Time-Restricted Eating (eTRE) with an 8-hour window (8 am - 4 pm) does NOT produce significantly greater weight loss than a calorie-restricted Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) in adults with obesity.

Early time-restricted eating (8 am - 4 pm) with a 600-calorie deficit did not result in significantly greater weight loss than a standard Mediterranean diet in this study. You may not see extra benefits from this specific timing strategy.

Weight stigma and discrimination are significant behavioral and emotional mechanisms linking high body weight to psychological distress.

Recognize that weight stigma is a real and harmful social force, not a personal failing. Seek supportive environments and mental health resources that address the impact of discrimination.

Global sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake among adults increased by 16% (0.37 servings/week) between 1990 and 2018, with the most dramatic increases occurring in Sub-Saharan Africa (+81.9%) and specific high-population countries like Nigeria and Ethiopia.

Track your weekly SSB servings. If you live in or travel to regions with rapidly rising intake (like Sub-Saharan Africa or parts of Asia), be aware that marketing is aggressively targeting these demographics. Aim to keep added sugars <5-10% of daily calories as recommended by national guidelines.

A diagnosis of Type 2 Diabetes acts as a 'teachable moment' that significantly accelerates smoking cessation compared to the general population, but fails to trigger positive changes in physical activity, alcohol consumption, or fruit and vegetable intake.

Getting a Type 2 Diabetes diagnosis is a strong motivator to quit smoking, but it rarely changes your diet or exercise habits on its own. Do not rely on the diagnosis to fix your lifestyle. You must actively implement specific plans for nutrition and physical activity, as these habits are resistant to change without targeted intervention.

Social media promotion and celebrity endorsements of semaglutide (specifically Ozempic/Wegovy) for off-label weight loss directly drive global search interest and subsequent supply shortages, overriding regulatory approval timelines.

Search interest in weight loss drugs like semaglutide is currently driven more by social media trends and celebrity endorsements than by official medical approvals. If you are seeing a surge in interest or shortages, it is likely due to viral media content rather than a change in medical guidelines.

The same mHealth intervention does NOT produce statistically significant reductions in systolic or diastolic blood pressure four years after completion, nor does it significantly reduce the incidence of hypertension, although a non-significant trend toward reduced hypertension risk was observed in high-adherence subgroups.

Do not expect this mobile health program to significantly lower your blood pressure, even if it helps you lose weight. The study showed no significant change in systolic or diastolic blood pressure four years after the intervention. However, the weight loss achieved is still a valuable health outcome, and you should continue to monitor your blood pressure with your healthcare provider.

Point-of-care gastric ultrasound is an effective and objective method to assess gastric contents and guide anesthetic management for patients on GLP-1 agonists.

Anesthesiologists should consider using gastric ultrasound to check the stomach contents of patients on GLP-1 agonists before surgery. This helps decide whether to proceed with anesthesia or take extra precautions to prevent aspiration.

A 12-week self-guided resistance training program does not significantly improve muscle strength or muscle mass in women with generalized joint hypermobility (GJH).

If you have generalized joint hypermobility, simply doing resistance exercises twice a week on your own is unlikely to build strength or muscle. You likely need higher intensity (heavier loads) and direct supervision to ensure proper progression and safety.

Intentional weight loss in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is not consistently associated with reduced mortality risk and may be associated with higher mortality in obese subgroups, whereas weight cycling (body weight variability) is consistently associated with significantly increased all-cause and cardiovascular disease mortality.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, do not focus on weight loss as a primary goal for reducing mortality risk. Instead, prioritize increasing physical activity and improving cardiorespiratory fitness. Weight cycling (losing and regaining weight) is associated with higher mortality risk, so maintaining a stable weight while improving fitness is a safer and more effective strategy for longevity.

There is a significant disparity in medication initiation rates between diabetes and obesity indications, with 72.2% of diabetes prescriptions filled within 60 days compared to only 46.8% of obesity prescriptions.

If you are prescribed a GLP-1 for weight loss, be aware that you are less likely to fill the prescription than someone prescribed for diabetes. This is due to insurance coverage gaps, not a lack of desire to treat. Check your coverage status before the prescription is written to avoid delays.

High out-of-pocket costs for semaglutide create a socioeconomic barrier to access, resulting in significantly lower prescription rates among low-income individuals despite them having a higher prevalence of obesity.

If you are on a limited budget, the high out-of-pocket cost of semaglutide may prevent you from accessing it, even if you have obesity. This is a systemic issue where low-income individuals are undertreated. Advocacy for reimbursement or subsidies is needed to address this inequality.