Browse the evidence

Older adults (>30 years) significantly increase their energy intake from ultra-processed foods (UPFs) on weekends compared to weekdays, whereas younger adults (18-30 years) maintain consistent UPF consumption levels regardless of the day of the week.

If you are over 30, your weekend meals are likely driving your high ultra-processed food intake, whereas your weekday habits are stable. To improve your diet, focus your planning efforts specifically on Friday through Sunday. You do not need to change your weekday routine, as your data shows consistency there. Targeting the weekend window is the highest-yield intervention for this demographic.

Younger adults (18-30 years) consume ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in a continuous 'grazing' pattern throughout the day, with distinct peaks at 8 pm and 1 pm, whereas older adults follow conventional three-meal patterns with an additional morning peak.

If you are under 30, you likely snack on ultra-processed foods throughout the day rather than just at meals. Your intake peaks at 1 pm and 8 pm. To reduce UPF intake, focus on eliminating snacks during these specific hours, particularly the late evening peak, rather than just trying to eat 'less' overall.

The Stanford Seven-Day Physical Activity Recall (7D-PAR) provides a reasonable estimate of mean total daily energy expenditure (TDEE) and physical activity energy expenditure (PAEE) for group-level epidemiological studies, but exhibits high individual variability that limits its validity for assessing individual energy expenditure.

If you are using a 7-day physical activity recall or similar self-report tool to track your own daily calorie burn for weight loss, do not rely on the specific number. The tool is designed for group averages in research, not individual precision. The error margin is so large that the specific value is likely misleading for your personal diet or exercise adjustments.

Reporting error in self-reported physical activity energy expenditure is significantly predicted by gender, percent body fat, peak oxygen uptake, and the level of physical activity itself, with higher activity levels leading to greater underestimation.

Your fitness level and body composition affect how accurately you can estimate your activity. Highly fit individuals or those with higher body fat may systematically over- or underestimate their activity. If you are trying to self-report activity, be aware that your specific physiological profile may bias your recall.

Implementing mandatory food procurement policies in worksites (cafeterias, vending, meetings) significantly improves the availability of healthy food and beverage options, thereby creating a healthier nutrition environment.

If you run a workplace, cafeteria, or vending operation, adopt mandatory procurement standards that prioritize fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean proteins while limiting sodium, trans fats, and saturated fats. Ensure these items are consistently available and clearly labeled. This structural change is more effective than education alone for improving population health.

Physical activity questionnaires (PAQs) and accelerometers demonstrate moderate validity for assessing total physical activity and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in epidemiologic studies, with PAQs showing particularly strong correlations for vigorous activity.

For researchers and clinicians, using a well-designed physical activity questionnaire (PAQ) is a valid and scalable method for assessing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in large groups, especially when gold-standard biomarkers like doubly labeled water are too costly. While accelerometers are useful, they may miss certain activities (like swimming or biking) and showed lower validity for vigorous activity compared to PAQs in this study. Combining methods or using validated questionnaires provides a robust estimate of physical activity levels for epidemiological purposes.

Habitual consumption of lower-fat food preparations (specifically roasted chicken) is inversely associated with the liking of high-fat food versions (full-fat chicken and pasta).

If you are trying to reduce fat intake, consistently choosing lower-fat preparations (like roasted chicken) may help retrain your taste preferences. Over time, you may find that full-fat versions taste less appealing or satisfying, making it easier to maintain a lower-fat diet.

Primary care provider (PCP) referrals significantly increase the likelihood of men proceeding to screening and enrollment in behavioral weight loss trials compared to direct mailings, and PCP involvement is a critical lever for overcoming low male recruitment rates.

If you are a man interested in weight loss, do not rely on unsolicited mailings or ads. The most effective way to join a program is to ask your primary care doctor for a referral. Doctors have the authority to bypass your hesitation and directly connect you to evidence-based support, which significantly increases your chances of actually starting the program.

New antidiabetic drugs with cardiovascular effects (GLP-1ra and SGLT2-in) are underutilized in primary care due to clinical inertia driven by physician uncertainty, guideline complexity, and patient-specific barriers, despite proven efficacy in reducing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality.

For family physicians managing T2D, prioritize prescribing GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1ra) or SGLT2 inhibitors (SGLT2-in) for patients with established cardiovascular disease, heart failure, or chronic kidney disease, regardless of HbA1c levels. Address clinical inertia by using clinical decision support tools and clear guidelines that define specific indications for these drugs. Discuss cost and side effects (e.g., GI issues for GLP-1ra, genital infections for SGLT2-in) openly with patients to improve adherence.

A community-based lifestyle intervention program (standard care or intensive) improves lipidemic profiles (cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL) in adults at high risk for type 2 diabetes, with greater effectiveness observed in women, those with higher socioeconomic status, and residents of Southeastern Europe.

If you are at high risk for diabetes, a simple annual health check and counseling session can significantly improve your cholesterol and triglycerides, often matching the results of more intensive programs. However, if you are overweight, live in a region with fewer resources, or struggle with emotional eating and underestimating your weight, you may need more targeted support to see these benefits.

Psychological therapies (CBT, MANTRA, SSCM, family therapy) and specific pharmacological treatments (fluoxetine, topiramate for BN/BED; lisdexamfetamine for BED) are effective interventions for eating disorders, though RCTs specifically in the military context are lacking.

If you have an eating disorder, rely on evidence-based psychological therapies (like CBT or MANTRA) and prescribed medications (like fluoxetine or lisdexamfetamine) rather than just diet and exercise. These treatments address the root psychological and neurobiological factors of EDs.

Self-directed learning of cooking skills through independent resources (internet, books, TV) significantly increases the likelihood of possessing high cooking skills compared to not using these methods.

If you are a student or busy adult, you can significantly improve your cooking skills by actively seeking out recipes and techniques online, via books, or TV, rather than waiting for formal instruction. This self-directed approach is statistically linked to higher culinary competence, which in turn supports better diet quality and food security.

High availability and accessibility of fruits and vegetables at home is strongly associated with higher cooking skills, likely by providing the necessary ingredients to practice and refine culinary techniques.

To improve your cooking skills, ensure your kitchen has easy access to fruits and vegetables. The study suggests that having these ingredients available encourages you to practice and refine your cooking techniques, leading to higher overall culinary competence.

High knowledge of cooking terms and techniques is associated with higher cooking skills, suggesting that theoretical understanding supports practical culinary competence.

Learn the names of cooking techniques and terms. This theoretical knowledge is not just academic; it is strongly associated with higher practical cooking skills because it builds confidence and provides a mental framework for preparing food.

Primary care clinicians refer approximately 71% of eligible patients (BMI ≥ 30) to intensive behavioral weight loss interventions, but patient enrollment rates remain low (19% of invited, 40.6% of contacted).

If you are in primary care with a BMI over 30, expect your doctor to refer you to a weight loss program if they have a list of patients like you. However, be prepared that enrollment might be low because doctors often prioritize other medical issues or feel they don't know you well enough. To increase your chances, explicitly express interest in weight management during visits.

Relocation to redeveloped low-income housing reduces waist circumference and abdominal obesity, but does not significantly change BMI or overall obesity prevalence.

Moving to a better neighborhood isn't enough on its own; you likely need to move into better housing that facilitates healthier habits (like better kitchens or water quality). Focus on reducing added sugars, as this specific change was linked to waist reduction in this study.

Exercise is underprescribed and frequently overlooked in favor of pharmacologic or surgical interventions due to lack of awareness and poor knowledge of effective protocols.

Clinicians must prescribe specific exercise protocols, not just 'exercise'.

Pre-existing mental health status (depressive symptoms, loneliness, insomnia) is the strongest predictor of developing or maintaining these conditions during the pandemic, with odds ratios increasing significantly for those with prior symptoms.

If you have a history of depression, loneliness, or insomnia, you are at significantly higher risk for these issues to persist or worsen during stressful times. Proactive mental health management and monitoring are essential for this group.

Women and non-Hispanic White individuals with type 2 diabetes had higher odds of experiencing depressive symptoms and loneliness during the pandemic compared to men and underrepresented racial/ethnic groups, respectively.

Be aware that being female or non-Hispanic White may be associated with a higher risk of depression and loneliness during stressful periods. This may be linked to social factors like living alone or less multigenerational support. Seek out community and social support.

Performing resistance training with light loads (25-30 RM) to volitional failure induces significantly higher perceived effort, discomfort, and displeasure compared to moderate loads (8-12 RM) performed to failure.

If you are struggling to stick with your resistance training program, check your load selection. Training with very light weights (25-30 reps) to failure is significantly more unpleasant and exhausting than using moderate weights (8-12 reps) to failure. Since both can build muscle similarly, choosing moderate loads may make your workouts feel better and help you stay consistent.

A short food-frequency questionnaire (SFFQ) with 50 items provides adequate agreement and reproducibility with a comprehensive 161-item questionnaire for ranking dietary intake of major food groups and macronutrients in men with prostate cancer.

For researchers or clinicians studying diet in prostate cancer patients, using a validated 50-item short questionnaire is a viable strategy. It takes only 15 minutes to complete and accurately ranks patients' intake of major food groups (like fruits, dairy, and seafood) compared to much longer surveys. This reduces participant burden and increases the feasibility of long-term studies, though it may be less accurate for total fat intake.

Obese individuals significantly underestimate their caloric intake and overestimate their physical activity levels when self-reporting, leading to a discrepancy between reported and actual energy expenditure and intake.

If you are obese, your memory of what you ate and how much you exercised is likely inaccurate. You probably eat more and move less than you think. Relying on self-reported logs for weight loss will likely fail because the baseline data is wrong. Use objective tracking methods (like doubly labeled water for research or calibrated devices for clinical use) if precise energy balance is required.

Adherence to intermittent fasting regimens is generally high (>80%) in short-term studies (≤3 months) but drops significantly in long-term studies (>3 months).

Intermittent fasting is easy to stick to for the first 3 months, but adherence drops significantly thereafter. If you plan to fast long-term, expect a drop in adherence and consider modified approaches (like MADF) to sustain it.

Internet-based interventions can significantly reduce depressive symptoms and diabetes-specific emotional distress in adults with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

If you have diabetes and are struggling with depression, consider using a guided internet-based self-help program. These programs can be effective in reducing depressive symptoms and emotional distress, and they offer a private way to get help.