Browse the evidence

Diabetes screening should begin at age 35 for all adults, or age 19 for those with specific risk factors, utilizing FPG, HbA1c, or OGTT.

If you are 35 or older, get your blood sugar checked now, even if you feel fine. If you are younger than 35 but have risk factors like abdominal obesity, start screening at 19. Early detection prevents long-term damage.

Nutrient-based dietary guidelines (e.g., limiting fat or sugar) are less effective for public understanding and policy translation than food-based or processing-related terms (e.g., 'ultra-processed foods' or specific food examples).

When following dietary guidelines, look for recommendations that specify *which* foods to limit (like sugary drinks or ultra-processed snacks) rather than just abstract nutrients (like fat or sugar). This approach is easier to understand and less likely to be manipulated by food companies through reformulation. If a guideline uses nutrient-based terms, try to translate them into specific food choices you can identify on a label.

Extending the duration of initial diabetes diagnosis consultations (specifically >40 minutes) significantly improves patient recall of treatment topics and reduces anxiety regarding disease management compared to standard short consultations.

If you have been recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, do not accept a very short initial appointment. Ask for more time or a follow-up specifically dedicated to understanding your treatment. The paper shows that spending over 40 minutes at diagnosis, especially with a specialist, significantly improves your ability to remember and follow your treatment plan, reducing fear and improving outcomes. Do not let the doctor rush you; your understanding is the key to preventing complications.

Consuming hard-textured foods significantly reduces daily energy intake and slows eating rate compared to soft-textured foods, regardless of industrial processing level.

To reduce calorie intake without counting calories, choose foods with a harder texture (e.g., whole vegetables, chewy meats, nuts) over soft, processed alternatives (e.g., purees, soft breads, smoothies). This forces slower eating and increases satiety signals, naturally leading to eating less, even if the food is processed.

Weight-neutral health strategies (HAES) improve psychological well-being, body image, and intuitive eating without requiring weight loss, but lack long-term evidence for physical health outcomes compared to weight-loss strategies.

If you are tired of yo-yo dieting, a weight-neutral approach (HAES) focuses on how you feel and behave rather than the number on the scale. It emphasizes intuitive eating and enjoyable movement. This can significantly improve mental health and body image, though long-term physical health benefits are still being studied.

In patients with type 2 diabetes, a lifestyle pattern characterized by evening chronotype, poor sleep quality, and depressive status is associated with higher HbA1c, systolic blood pressure, and arterial stiffness (baPWV).

If you have type 2 diabetes, your sleep schedule and mental health are not just lifestyle details—they are critical metabolic drivers. Prioritizing consistent sleep times, addressing depression, and avoiding late-night eating can directly improve your blood sugar control and heart health.

A lifestyle pattern characterized by high physical activity is associated with lower uric acid levels in T2DM patients, despite potentially elevated liver enzymes.

High physical activity in T2DM patients is linked to lower uric acid, which is beneficial. However, it may also be associated with elevated liver enzymes. A balanced approach addressing sleep, diet, and alcohol is more critical for overall health than exercise alone.

Simplified, quality-focused diet logging (tracking food categories like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains without caloric quantification) significantly improves dietary scores and reduces cardiovascular risk scores, even when users do not actively monitor their risk feedback.

Stop trying to count every calorie. Instead, use a simple app to track whether you are eating specific healthy food groups (like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains) and avoiding unhealthy ones (like sugary drinks and processed meats). Do this daily. You do not need to obsess over the risk score displayed by the app, as the act of logging these quality choices alone is enough to improve your diet and long-term heart health.

Athletes and active individuals prefer whole food nutritional products over supplements, powders, or bars for both performance and recovery.

When choosing sports nutrition products, look for whole food options rather than isolated supplements or powders. This format is preferred by athletes for both performance and recovery. Ensure the product is scientifically proven, as this is a key factor for 87% of users.

Nutritional profile is the most important attribute for purchasing sports nutrition products, followed by taste and accessibility.

When selecting sports nutrition products, prioritize those with a clear and beneficial nutritional profile. Taste and accessibility are also important secondary factors. Ensure the product has scientific proof, as this is highly valued.

Technology-assisted weight management interventions utilizing the 5As behavioral model (Assess, Advise, Agree, Assist, Arrange) can facilitate effective primary care counseling and goal setting without overburdening healthcare providers.

For veterans or primary care patients, using a structured, technology-assisted counseling model (like the 5As) can make weight management support more accessible and less stressful. The key is combining a user-friendly digital tool for self-assessment and goal setting with human support from a health coach who helps refine goals and address barriers. This approach reduces the burden on busy doctors and ensures patients receive consistent, personalized feedback without feeling judged.

Adults with type 2 diabetes and high baseline glycemic risk (HbA1c >9%) experience the greatest improvements in glycemic control, physical health, and mental health from a 12-week multichannel digital health coaching program compared to those with lower baseline risk.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes and your HbA1c is above 9%, a structured 12-week digital coaching program involving weekly phone calls and text-based goal tracking is likely to significantly lower your blood sugar and improve your physical and mental health. If your HbA1c is already well-controlled (below 7%), you may not see significant changes in blood sugar, though you might still benefit from reduced diabetes distress.

Individuals previously engaged in resistance training can maintain participation during lockdown-induced facility closures by adapting to home-based modalities (bodyweight, minimal equipment) and full-body routines, though this adaptation is associated with reduced perceived effort, enjoyment, and motivation.

If your gym is closed, don't stop training. You can maintain your resistance training habits at home by switching to bodyweight exercises or using whatever equipment you have. Expect that it might feel easier and less enjoyable than before, and that your motivation might dip. This is normal. Focus on consistency rather than trying to replicate the exact intensity or equipment of your gym sessions. Most people can keep training even with these constraints.

Providing individuals with a computer-generated report of their personal cardiovascular risk profile and guideline-based lifestyle recommendations leads to the identification of reasons for non-adherence, though implementation of these preventive measures remains poor in the general population.

Generic health advice often fails because it lacks personal relevance. This study proposes using a personalized risk report (based on your actual blood pressure, weight, and labs) to guide specific lifestyle changes. The key is not just the advice, but identifying *why* you might not follow it (e.g., cost, time, preference) through annual check-ins. The goal is to move from generic guidelines to a strategy that fits your specific life and risk profile.

Digital counseling tools (mobile app with coach contact vs. newsletters) are being tested as adjuncts to dietary interventions for weight maintenance, but their specific efficacy compared to each other or standard care is not yet proven.

Use a mobile app with a coach or receive regular newsletters to help you stick to your diet. The app offers more direct contact (weekly at first, then less often), while newsletters provide general tips. Both are designed to support long-term maintenance.

Both Baduanjin exercise and a combined Baduanjin/Low-Carbohydrate Diet intervention significantly reduce drug craving scores (Visual Analog Scale) in overweight individuals with drug addiction, with no significant difference between the two intervention groups.

Drug craving reduction in this setting was driven by the structured rehabilitation environment rather than the specific exercise or diet protocol. Both exercise and combined interventions reduced craving, but so did general activity.

A MyPlate-based dietary intervention, which prioritizes high-satiety foods (fruits and vegetables) and eliminates calorie counting, is expected to yield greater long-term satiety and better sustained weight loss compared to a traditional Calorie Counting (CC) approach.

Instead of counting every calorie, focus on filling half your plate with minimally processed fruits and vegetables at every meal. This approach uses the natural volume and fiber of these foods to keep you full (satiated) longer, making it easier to maintain a healthy weight without the mental burden of strict portion control or hunger.

A behavioral weight loss maintenance intervention is cost-effective for individuals with BMI ≥ 28 kg/m² if the per-person cost is ≤ £104.64, yielding a maximum justifiable cost at an ICER of £20,000 per QALY.

For a person with a BMI over 28, a behavioral weight loss maintenance program is considered cost-effective by UK health standards if it costs less than approximately £105 per person. This program focuses on maintaining weight loss through diet and exercise advice, aiming to slow down the typical weight regain seen after initial weight loss.

A virtual, peer-supported exercise intervention for older adult female cancer survivors is feasible and yields preliminary improvements in exercise-related social support and physical activity enjoyment compared to peer support alone.

For older female cancer survivors, a structured, virtual exercise program with a peer partner and professional guidance is feasible and can improve enjoyment and social support around exercise. Start with a peer match and weekly professional check-ins to build adherence.

Progressive energy restriction (PER) yields similar fat-free mass and strength preservation as severe energy restriction (SER) in resistance-trained women, while potentially offering greater fat mass reduction and adherence due to its flexibility.

If you are a trained woman looking to lose fat while keeping your strength, try lowering your calories gradually over 8 weeks rather than cutting them drastically from day one. Start at 40 kcal per kg of fat-free mass and drop to 25 kcal/kg over two-week intervals. Keep protein high (~2.5g/kg) and maintain your resistance training. This approach is just as effective for preserving muscle and losing fat as severe restriction, but is easier to stick to.

A structured group-based behavioral intervention utilizing social identity principles can effectively support weight management in adults with severe obesity (BMI ≥35 or ≥40 kg/m²) by leveraging shared social identity and social connectedness to drive behavioral change.

If you have severe obesity, joining a structured group program that focuses on building connections with other participants (not just learning diet tips) may be more effective for long-term weight loss than individual counseling. The PROGROUP protocol involves 15 sessions over 5 months, starting with weekly meetings and moving to fortnightly maintenance sessions, facilitated by a multidisciplinary team to ensure social support drives your behavioral changes.

Exposure to educational Planetary Health Plate (PHP) signage in a university dining hall significantly reduces the rate at which patrons take meat dishes, but does not significantly reduce the total weight of meat consumed or the average serving size.

Educational signage alone may not reduce total meat consumption in a buffet setting. While it can discourage some people from taking meat entirely, it does not reduce portion sizes. To reduce total intake, interventions must address portion control or serving sizes directly, not just information provision.

Semaglutide treatment significantly reduces emotional and uncontrolled eating scores in patients with hypothalamic obesity, leading to improved quality of life and social functioning.

Semaglutide not only helps with weight loss but also significantly reduces emotional and uncontrolled eating, leading to improved quality of life and social functioning. Patients report feeling more confident and less isolated.

Disrupted eating patterns (skipping meals or eating late) are associated with worse baseline metabolic parameters (higher HbA1c, lipids, BMI, liver enzymes) and higher prevalence of diabetic complications in Japanese T2DM patients.

For T2DM patients, consistency matters. Try to eat three meals a day and avoid eating dinner after 8 PM. This simple behavioral shift is linked to better blood sugar, lipid, and liver health outcomes, regardless of medication.