Browse the evidence

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.

Parosmia can cause severe food aversion and rapid weight loss due to the perception of common foods as having foul, metallic, or rotten odors.

If food smells or tastes rotten (parosmia), you may lose weight. Identify 'safe' foods that do not trigger the distortion (e.g., plain yogurt, cold fruits, bland staples). Eat small, frequent meals of these safe foods to maintain nutrition. Do not force yourself to eat foods that trigger nausea, as this can worsen the aversion.

Digital health technologies, including exergames and telemedicine, facilitate adherence to physical activity and reduce social isolation during confinement, particularly for vulnerable populations like the elderly.

Use digital tools to stay connected and active. If you are elderly or socially isolated, consider exergames or telemedicine programs that allow you to exercise with others virtually. Ensure you have internet access, as it is a key factor in maintaining wellbeing during isolation.

Multimodal physical interventions (e.g., Tai Chi, subsensory vibratory noise) restore physiological complexity and improve functional mobility in older adults.

Focus on activities that challenge your body's balance and coordination, like Tai Chi or using specific vibratory devices if recommended. These aren't just exercises; they help your nervous system maintain the 'complexity' needed to stay mobile and avoid falls as you age.

The COVID-19 pandemic and associated public health measures (social distancing, quarantine) caused a significant decrease in physical activity and exercise levels in older adults living independently, with nearly half of the sample reporting reduced activity.

If you are an older adult, be aware that the pandemic's restrictions likely caused you to be less active. This is a common and understandable reaction to fear and isolation. To counteract this, focus on safe, home-based exercises or low-density outdoor activities. Reconnecting with others, even virtually, can help restore your motivation to move.

Mandatory front-of-package warning labels on foods high in critical nutrients increase consumer awareness of product unhealthiness and drive purchase decisions toward healthier alternatives, particularly among mothers and young children.

Use front-of-package warning labels as a quick visual shortcut when shopping. Products with more warning labels are less healthy. Prioritize products with fewer or no labels, especially when trying new items. Involve children in this process, as they often become the primary drivers of healthier choices at home.

Restricting the sale of high-energy, high-sugar, high-saturated fat, and high-sodium (HEFSS) foods in schools, combined with teacher promotion of healthy snacks, shifts children's dietary preferences toward healthier options, particularly in younger children.

Support school food policies that restrict unhealthy options. Encourage your child to try the healthier options available at school, as they are often more accepted by peers. Be mindful of the social pressure to send healthy snacks, but recognize it as a positive force for your child's long-term health.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and mindfulness-based interventions produce significant weight loss effects, whereas other mindfulness approaches primarily improve psychological health and eating-related factors without necessarily reducing weight.

If you are trying to lose weight, look for Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) rather than generic mindfulness meditation. ACT focuses on committing to valued behaviors (like healthy eating) despite discomfort, which has been shown to significantly reduce weight, whereas general mindfulness may just improve your mood or eating awareness without dropping pounds.

Integrating mobile health (m-Health) technology and health coaching with physical activity interventions reduces care-seeking rates in patients with chronic low back pain compared to standard care advice alone.

For chronic low back pain patients, simply being told to 'stay active' is often insufficient to prevent future flare-ups and doctor visits. A structured approach combining a wearable activity tracker (like a Fitbit), a dedicated mobile app for goal tracking, and regular check-ins with a health coach (via phone) can significantly reduce the need for further medical care. This method helps maintain physical activity habits after formal treatment ends, even if it doesn't drastically change pain levels immediately.

For individuals with Type 1 Diabetes, stopping work and staying at home during lockdown significantly improves short-term glycemic control (lower average glucose, increased time in range) compared to continuing work, likely due to reduced workplace stress and more regular routines.

If you have Type 1 Diabetes and your routine is disrupted (e.g., working from home, lockdown), focus on stabilizing your daily routine rather than stressing about exercise. The study suggests that reducing workplace stress and maintaining regular meal/insulin timing can significantly improve glucose control, even if you are less active. Monitor your time in range, as it increased significantly in those who slowed down.

Lifestyle management, specifically focusing on healthy lifestyle, emotional wellbeing, and quality of life, is a foundational recommendation for the assessment and management of PCOS, with explicit attention to avoiding weight stigma.

For someone with PCOS, prioritize sustainable lifestyle habits that support your mental and physical health rather than chasing rapid weight loss. Work with your healthcare provider to create a plan that respects your body image and addresses emotional wellbeing, as this is a critical part of managing the syndrome's diverse burdens.

COVID-19 lockdown and confinement measures are associated with a high prevalence (65%) of symptomatic deterioration in individuals with eating disorders, including increased shape/eating concerns and exercise obsession, despite mixed findings on actual BMI changes in longitudinal subgroups.

If you have an eating disorder or obesity, the lockdown environment itself is a significant risk factor for symptom worsening, not just your personal choices. The data shows 65% of ED patients experienced deterioration. Focus on maintaining therapeutic contact and structured routines, as the loss of these external supports is a primary driver of symptom escalation. Be aware that 'feeling fine' on a scale of weight may mask significant psychological distress and behavioral shifts like increased exercise obsession.

Chatbot interventions significantly improve sleep duration and quality, with multicomponent interventions (chatbot plus other tools) being more effective than chatbot-only interventions.

For better sleep, use a chatbot that integrates with a wearable device or allows you to log your sleep habits. This combined approach is more effective than using a chatbot alone.

Implementing a 20% tax on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) reduces consumption, leading to significant health-adjusted life year (HALY) gains and healthcare cost savings, with the greatest relative health benefits accruing to the most socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.

A 20% tax on sugary drinks is projected to save the Australian healthcare system billions and add significant healthy life years, particularly for disadvantaged communities. The extra cost to consumers is small (around $35/year for the lowest income group), but the health system savings and health gains are much larger for these same groups.

Higher-dose exercise (higher intensity, duration, or frequency) may improve overall functioning and depressive symptoms more than moderate-dose exercise, but compliance is lower.

While higher intensity exercise might offer slight benefits for overall physical functioning, moderate intensity is sufficient for reducing depression and is easier to sustain. Prioritize consistency over intensity to avoid dropout.

Government-imposed confinement and mobility restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant decrease in physical activity (vigorous, moderate, and walking) and a significant increase in sedentary behavior (hours spent sitting) among pregnant women.

If you are pregnant and face mobility restrictions, expect your physical activity levels to drop significantly. To counter this, prioritize low-impact indoor movements or walking if permitted, and be aware that 'lack of space' and 'fatigue' are common barriers that need proactive management.

Wearable passive sensing technologies for food intake monitoring provide objective, real-time data that reduces the subjective bias and recall errors inherent in manual self-reporting methods, thereby enabling more reliable dietary assessment and effective health interventions.

If you struggle with remembering what you eat or under-reporting your intake, consider using a wearable food monitoring device. These devices automatically track eating events (chewing, swallowing) or food images, removing the mental burden of manual logging. While not yet perfect for all food types, they offer a more objective view of your habits than memory-based diaries, helping you and your healthcare provider make better decisions.

A multicomponent sleep intervention combining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and Hypnotherapy for Insomnia (HT-I) significantly improves subjective sleep quality and reduces insomnia symptoms in university students.

If you are a student struggling with sleep, consider a structured program that combines behavioral changes (like consistent sleep/wake times and relaxation techniques) with psychological tools (like hypnosis or stress management). Standard sleep hygiene advice may not be enough if you have high anxiety about sleep or irregular schedules. Look for programs specifically designed for students that address exam stress and chronotype.

Rural residents in Saudi Arabia have higher prevalence of diabetes, obesity, and hypertension compared to urban residents, challenging the assumption that urbanization is the sole driver of CVD risk.

Rural residents in Saudi Arabia face higher risks of diabetes, obesity, and hypertension than their urban counterparts. This is likely due to lifestyle changes associated with modernization. Public health efforts should target rural communities with specific interventions to promote healthy eating and physical activity.

UPF intake may influence energy intake and metabolic responses through factors like energy density, eating rate, and hyper-palatability, but these mechanisms are not yet fully understood.

Try to be mindful of how quickly you eat and the energy density of your meals. UPFs are often designed to be hyper-palatable and energy-dense, which can lead to overconsumption. Choosing whole, minimally processed foods may help regulate energy intake.

Continuing lifestyle interventions (diet/exercise) after stopping AOMs does not prevent significant weight regain, as this subgroup also showed significant regain.

Even if you maintain a healthy diet and exercise routine, stopping anti-obesity medication is likely to lead to weight regain. The biological effects of the medication are significant, and lifestyle changes alone may not be enough to counteract the regain.

Relying solely on Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) for diagnosis misses a significant number of diabetes cases in Korean populations; OGTT or HbA1c is required for accurate diagnosis.

If you are Asian or have a lower body weight, a normal fasting blood sugar might not mean you are safe. You may have high blood sugar after eating. Ask your doctor about an OGTT or HbA1c test if you have risk factors.

HbA1c is a valid diagnostic criterion for diabetes (≥6.5%) in Korea, but it should not be used alone due to lower detection rates compared to combined FPG and OGTT.

HbA1c is a convenient test that doesn't require fasting, but it might miss diabetes if used alone. For the most accurate diagnosis, especially if you have conditions like anemia or kidney disease, combine it with fasting glucose or an OGTT.