Browse the evidence

The combination of smoking cessation and exercise initiation after a new diabetes diagnosis yields the greatest reduction in cardiovascular disease risk (46% reduction) and all-cause mortality (22% reduction) compared to continuing both bad habits.

For the best heart and life protection after a diabetes diagnosis, quit smoking and start exercising. Doing both together cuts your risk of heart disease by nearly half and death by over 20% compared to staying a smoker and sedentary. If you can only do one, start with exercise, but quitting smoking is also critical.

Resistance exercise is the primary mechanical stimulus to prevent the decline in Type 2 muscle fiber cross-sectional area in older adults.

Engage in regular resistance training to maintain the size and function of your fast-twitch muscle fibers. This mechanical stimulus is crucial for keeping your muscles strong and functional as you age.

Short-term periods of physical inactivity (disuse) accelerate muscle atrophy and strength loss in older adults, mimicking years of natural aging.

Avoid prolonged periods of inactivity, such as bedrest or hospitalization, as they cause rapid muscle loss in older adults that is difficult to reverse. Maintain daily movement even during minor illnesses or injuries.

Theory-based lifestyle interventions combining dietary and physical activity components with specific behavior change techniques (goal setting, self-monitoring, instructions, credible source) are effective for treating overweight/obesity in post-treatment breast cancer survivors.

Breast cancer survivors aiming for weight loss should engage in structured lifestyle programs that combine a moderate caloric deficit (500-1000 kcal/day) with gradually increasing physical activity (starting at 30 mins/day). These programs must be grounded in behavioral theory and explicitly use techniques like goal setting, self-monitoring, and credible instruction to be effective.

Supervised resistance training produces greater site-specific muscle hypertrophy and strength gains compared to unsupervised training in resistance-trained individuals.

If you are already experienced with resistance training, working with a coach or trainer who provides real-time feedback and encouragement will likely lead to better muscle growth and strength gains than training alone. The supervision helps you push closer to failure with better technique, which drives adaptation.

Daily undulating programming (DUP) and strategic microcycle construction (e.g., prioritizing high-intensity sessions after low-intensity recovery sessions) can optimize recovery and enhance performance on priority sessions.

Use Daily Undulating Programming (DUP) to schedule high-intensity or high-volume sessions after low-intensity 'easy' sessions. This allows you to recover fully for your priority lifts while maintaining training frequency.

A 5-year Physical Activity on Prescription (PAP) intervention significantly improves metabolic health and mental quality of life in patients with metabolic risk factors, despite a 52% dropout rate.

Engage in a structured, long-term physical activity program (like Sweden's PAP) that includes regular follow-ups and a written prescription. Aim for approximately 3 hours of moderate-intensity activity per week. This approach has been shown to significantly improve metabolic health markers (blood pressure, glucose, lipids) and mental well-being over 5 years, even if adherence is challenging.

Exercise training (ET), including high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and moderate-intensity continuous training, improves functional status, exercise capacity, and quality of life in HFpEF patients.

If you have HFpEF, engage in regular exercise training, including high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or moderate-intensity continuous training. This improves your exercise capacity, quality of life, and heart function. It is safe and recommended by guidelines.

Actively considering the health impacts of food choices during the decision-making process significantly increases the nutritional quality of selected foods, independent of an individual's intertemporal discount rate.

To eat healthier, you must actively engage your attention on health consequences during the moment of choice. Simply having nutrition labels available is not enough; you must consciously choose to consider how the food affects your health. You can facilitate this by using visual cues (like star ratings) or prompts that draw your attention to health impacts, which has been shown to lead to significantly healthier selections.

Multicomponent behavioral interventions, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI), produce 5-10% weight loss and are essential for addressing psychological barriers and sustaining lifestyle changes.

Engage in structured behavioral programs that include self-monitoring, goal setting, and problem-solving. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is particularly effective for those with binge eating, while Motivational Interviewing (MI) helps resolve ambivalence. These interventions typically yield 5-10% weight loss and are most effective when combined with lifestyle changes and, if necessary, medication.

Consulting with a sports Registered Dietitian (RD) regarding supplement choices is associated with a lower risk of using non-third-party tested supplements.

Talking to a sports dietitian about your supplements significantly lowers your risk of using contaminated products. If you can't see one, ensure you search for information yourself and look for third-party testing logos.

High training frequency (>5 days/week) is recommended to mitigate detraining effects during periods of social distancing and limited training access.

Try to move your body and perform some form of resistance exercise on most days of the week (more than 5 times). You don't need long sessions; integrating movement into daily life and doing shorter workouts frequently helps prevent loss of fitness.

Personalized diet counseling interventions that emphasize specific food behavior goals (increased plant protein, fish, olive oil, fruits/vegetables, nuts) and specific behavior change techniques (self-monitoring, feedback on performance, focus on past success) significantly improve short-term diet quality (HEI-C) in patients with metabolic syndrome.

For patients with metabolic syndrome, personalized diet counseling is effective when it moves beyond general 'balanced meal' advice. Focus on specific, actionable goals like increasing plant protein, fish, olive oil, and nuts. Use behavior change techniques like self-monitoring (e.g., food logs), providing feedback on performance, and focusing on past successes. Avoid excessive goal setting (more than 3 goals per 3 months) as it may hinder progress.

Splitting a lower-body resistance training session into two shorter intra-day sessions increases total training volume (repetitions) compared to performing the same exercises in one long continuous session.

If you can fit two shorter gym visits into your day with a few hours of rest in between, you might be able to squeeze out a few more reps than if you did one long, exhausting session. However, the gain is small (3%), so prioritize the schedule that you can actually stick to.

Supervised combined exercise and dietary interventions significantly improve glycaemic control, comorbidities, and quality of life in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients, with supervised exercise yielding superior outcomes to unsupervised regimens.

Do not rely on unsupervised exercise alone for T2DM management. Engage in a supervised exercise program combined with a personalized dietary plan (such as the Mediterranean diet). Supervised exercise has been shown to significantly improve blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight loss compared to unsupervised efforts.

Interventions using tailored individual lifestyle coaching and interactive group sessions are more effective than those using only passive materials like pamphlets or text messages.

For lasting dietary changes, seek programs that offer personal coaching and group interaction. Simply reading pamphlets or receiving text messages is unlikely to be enough. Look for programs that involve trained professionals and interactive sessions.

Early response to treatment (≥5% weight loss in 3 months) is a strong predictor of long-term success; non-responders should switch therapies.

Monitor your weight closely in the first 3 months of starting a new obesity medication. If you haven't lost at least 5% of your body weight, talk to your doctor about switching to a different therapy. Early success is the best predictor of long-term success.

Adhering to the MyPlate dietary pattern (focusing on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and protein) reduces central adiposity (waist circumference) in overweight, low-income patients, offering a practical alternative to calorie counting.

Follow the MyPlate guidelines: fill half your plate with fruits and vegetables, one-quarter with whole grains, and one-quarter with quality protein. You do not need to count calories. This approach helps reduce belly fat (waist circumference) and is easier to stick to long-term than strict calorie counting, especially if you find tracking numbers stressful.

Intermittent fasting and time-restricted eating are effective weight loss strategies comparable to daily calorie restriction.

Try intermittent fasting (like 16:8 time-restricted eating or 5:2 fasting) if you struggle with counting calories. It helps restrict intake by limiting the eating window. Be aware of side effects like dizziness, especially if you take diabetes medication.

Cognitive-behavioral treatment for obesity, delivered in weekly group sessions for 4-6 months, typically produces an 8-10% reduction in initial body weight, which is associated with clinically meaningful improvements in chronic conditions.

Commit to a structured program that meets weekly for 4-6 months. Focus on tracking your food and activity, setting specific weekly goals, and learning to handle setbacks as learning opportunities rather than failures. To keep the weight off, stay in touch with the program or a support group after the initial 6 months.

Structured behavioral lifestyle interventions (BLIs) with frequent feedback and support produce clinically meaningful weight loss (≥5%) in overweight or obese patients with type 2 diabetes, regardless of specific diet or exercise components.

For T2DM patients, the specific diet or exercise type matters less than the structure of the support. Choose a program that offers frequent feedback, regular monitoring, and social support. Consistency in attending sessions and receiving feedback is more critical than the specific 'brand' of diet or exercise.

Time-restricted eating (TRE) with a 9-hour eating window (1000–1900 h) is non-inferior to standard individualized dietetic guidance for improving HbA1c and glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes over a 6-month period.

If you have type 2 diabetes, try limiting your daily eating to a 9-hour window, specifically between 10:00 AM and 7:00 PM. You do not need to restrict calories explicitly, but you will likely eat less spontaneously. This approach is just as effective as standard dietitian advice for lowering HbA1c and may be easier to stick with because it is simpler. Ensure you are not on medications that require strict meal timing (like insulin or sulphonylureas) without medical supervision.

Extreme weight-loss diets (low-carb, low-fat, or VLCD) are not sustainable long-term and lead to rapid weight regain, whereas balanced, calorie-restricted diets combined with physical activity and counseling are superior for sustained weight management.

Avoid crash diets that restrict entire food groups or severely limit calories. Instead, adopt a balanced diet with a moderate calorie deficit (500-1000 kcal/day), incorporate regular exercise, and consider counseling to help you stick with it long-term.

Reducing ultra-processed food intake after a colorectal cancer diagnosis is associated with lower cardiovascular disease mortality compared to maintaining or increasing UPF intake.

If you have had colorectal cancer, cutting back on ultra-processed foods after your diagnosis can significantly lower your risk of dying from heart disease. Even a moderate reduction (e.g., 2-3 servings per day less than before) is associated with better outcomes.