Browse the evidence

A comprehensive incentive/disincentive program (SNAP-plus) that subsidizes multiple healthy food groups (F&V, nuts, whole grains, fish, plant-based oils) and disincentivizes unhealthy groups (SSBs, junk food, processed meats) yields the largest health gains and net cost savings among the tested interventions.

Support the 'SNAP-plus' model, which uses a broad basket of incentives for healthy foods and disincentives for unhealthy ones. This approach is modeled to save the most money and prevent the most heart disease, making it the most attractive option for policy makers.

Resistance training performed at high effort (near failure) significantly reduces all-cause mortality risk, whereas merely meeting volume-based guidelines without achieving high strength levels provides negligible mortality benefit.

To gain the maximum health benefit from resistance training, you must train with high effort, meaning you should perform exercises until you are close to muscular failure, not just 'go through the motions.' You do not need a gym; bodyweight exercises or simple household items can be used. Focus on quality and effort over volume or duration. Simply checking a box for 'muscle strengthening' without challenging your muscles significantly will not reduce your risk of early death.

High-intensity interval exercise (HIIE) or resistance training can mitigate the negative effects of sleep restriction on muscle protein synthesis, preserving synthesis rates despite sleep loss.

If you know you will have a night of poor sleep, do not skip your workout. High-intensity interval training or resistance exercise can help protect your muscle protein synthesis rates. Think of exercise as a buffer against the negative effects of sleep loss.

A personalized lifestyle coaching program combining multi-omic data with behavioral support produces clinically meaningful improvements in HbA1c comparable to landmark randomized controlled trials.

Making sustainable lifestyle changes through coaching can lower your blood sugar levels (HbA1c) just as effectively as intensive lifestyle programs used in major medical trials. This means that consistent, coached changes to diet and activity can have a powerful impact on your diabetes risk, potentially avoiding or delaying the need for medication.

High-intensity interval training (HIT) is a viable and safe aerobic intervention for older adults that can stimulate muscle protein synthesis comparable to resistance exercise.

If you find continuous cardio boring or time-consuming, consider High-Intensity Interval Training (HIT). It is safe for older adults and can stimulate muscle growth just as effectively as resistance training. It involves short bursts of vigorous activity followed by rest.

A theory-based mobile app intervention (Vegethon) utilizing behavioral change techniques (goal setting, self-monitoring, social comparison, prompts/cues) significantly increases vegetable consumption in overweight adults compared to a control group.

Use a mobile app designed specifically for vegetable tracking that includes gamification elements like challenges, leaderboards, and immediate feedback. Set daily goals for servings and types of vegetables, and use the app's features to monitor your intake with minimal effort (e.g., one-tap logging). Engage with social features like comparing your progress to peers to stay motivated.

A 1-year remote lifestyle intervention by dietitians using a mobile app and behavioral counseling techniques produces significant weight loss (median -4.9 kg) and improvements in blood pressure and dietary habits in overweight and obese adults.

To lose weight using this method, you need a registered dietitian who uses a specific mobile app to track your food photos and activity. You will receive frequent coaching (up to 5 times a week initially) focusing on behavioral strategies like goal setting and self-monitoring. The contact frequency decreases over the year as you move from active weight loss to maintenance. This approach works by combining professional guidance with digital self-tracking tools.

A theory-driven mobile app intervention (Vegethon) significantly increases daily vegetable consumption in overweight adults compared to a wait-listed control.

Use a dedicated mobile app to track your vegetable intake. The app in this study used simple icons and allowed half-serving increments to make logging easy. Set a daily goal (e.g., 5 servings) and log your intake daily. This behavioral tool can significantly increase your vegetable consumption, even if you are already overweight and trying to lose weight.

A 12-month web-based weight loss intervention with personalized dietitian and exercise expert feedback leads to greater weight loss, BMI reduction, and waist circumference reduction compared to usual care in men with type 2 diabetes.

For men with type 2 diabetes looking to lose weight, a structured web-based program with regular feedback from dietitians and exercise experts can be an effective and acceptable alternative to traditional face-to-face services. The program involves self-monitoring of diet and activity, goal setting, and personalized feedback over 12 months.

A 24-week program combining culinary skills training with pedometer-based step monitoring produces statistically significant reductions in body weight (-2.2%) and HbA1c (-0.3%) in adults with type 2 diabetes, independent of medication changes.

To improve your blood sugar and weight, focus on learning to cook balanced meals from scratch and tracking your steps. This trial showed that attending weekly cooking classes and gradually increasing your daily walking by 500 steps each week led to significant health improvements in people with type 2 diabetes, even without changing medications.

Enhanced mobile health self-monitoring (including smart scales, peer discussion, and text prompts) yields greater weight loss and higher adherence than basic app-only self-monitoring in rural men.

If you are a rural man looking to lose weight, a basic app might not be enough. You need more than just a logbook. Use an app that connects you with others, sends you reminders, and automatically tracks your weight. This 'enhanced' support system helps you stick to the habit of tracking, which leads to better results than trying to do it alone with a basic app.

Incorporating regular on-site physical activity sessions into weight management programs significantly improves patient retention rates.

If you are joining a weight loss program, choose one that includes on-site exercise classes or physical activity sessions. This program feature is linked to a 51% higher chance of sticking with the program for the recommended duration.

A personalized mHealth intervention combining a smartphone app with health coaching and goal-setting improves health-related quality of life and cardiovascular risk factors in working adults compared to a control group.

To improve your health using technology, look for programs that combine an app with human support (like a health coach) and clear weekly goals. This study tests a platform that lets you choose from various health services (gym passes, apps, bands) tailored to your specific needs (diet, sleep, stress). The key is the personalized, multi-component approach rather than just downloading a single app.

Low physical activity is a strong independent risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) mortality, with an association magnitude of 2.4 per 100,000 persons, which is higher than dietary risks (1.4) and smoking (0.8).

Prioritize increasing your daily physical activity levels. This study identifies physical inactivity as a stronger predictor of T2DM mortality than dietary risks or smoking. You do not need a specific exercise regimen to benefit; simply reducing sedentary time and increasing movement can significantly lower your risk of dying from diabetes-related causes.

High-intensity behavioral weight-loss counseling delivered by non-physician personnel (e.g., dietitians, coaches) with monitoring by a primary-care physician produces clinically significant weight loss.

To achieve clinically significant weight loss (more than 5% of body weight), seek a program where a dietitian or health coach provides frequent, high-intensity counseling, while your primary-care doctor monitors your progress. This combination was found to be more effective than having the doctor deliver the counseling alone.

A multi-component lifestyle intervention delivered via telephone coaching, targeting weight loss, healthy eating, and physical activity, effectively delays or prevents the onset of type 2 diabetes in women with a history of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).

If you had gestational diabetes, your risk of type 2 diabetes remains high after birth, even if your blood sugar normalized during pregnancy. You can significantly lower this risk by adopting a lifestyle program focused on gradual weight loss (aiming for 5% of body weight), eating whole foods (limiting ultra-processed items, sugars, and processed meats), and increasing daily movement (targeting 7,500 steps or 150 minutes of activity per week). This program is designed to fit into your life as a new mother, using phone coaching and text messages to keep you on track without requiring extensive time away from your baby.

A structured behavioral intervention combining theoretical counseling with supervised mixed aerobic and resistance exercise significantly improves adherence to physical activity and reduces sedentary time in patients with type 2 diabetes compared to standard care alone.

For patients with Type 2 Diabetes who are sedentary, general advice to 'exercise more' is often insufficient due to barriers like fear of injury or lack of time. A more effective approach involves a structured program that combines education (understanding benefits and risks) with supervised, mixed aerobic and resistance training. This program should be repeated annually to maintain adherence. Key components include identifying personal barriers, setting realistic goals, and learning to exercise safely (e.g., monitoring blood glucose, using the 'talk test' for intensity). This structured support helps patients build the confidence and skills needed to maintain an active lifestyle long-term.

Powerlifters can achieve meaningful increases in 1-repetition-maximum (1RM) strength by performing approximately 3–6 working sets of 1–5 repetitions per week per powerlift, using loads above 80% 1RM at an RPE of 7.5–9.5 for 6–12 weeks.

If you are a powerlifter short on time, you can still get stronger by focusing on just 3-6 hard sets of 1-5 reps per week for each lift (squat, bench, deadlift). Keep the weight heavy (over 80% of your max) and stop when you feel you could do 2-5 more reps (RPE 7.5-9.5). Do this over 6-12 weeks. You can add a few lighter accessory exercises if you want, but the main lifts are the priority.

Adjunctive telephone and text message support improves behavioral adherence and clinical outcomes (weight loss, self-efficacy) in adults with class III obesity compared to standard community-based care alone.

Use simple, low-tech tools like SMS and phone calls instead of complex apps for obesity management, especially for those with low tech literacy. Personalize the content and timing of messages to fit the individual's lifestyle, and ensure the support feels genuine and non-judgmental. Consider a gradual tapering of support rather than stopping abruptly to prevent relapse.

A digitally enabled cardiometabolic lifestyle intervention involving personalized coaching on nutrition and physical activity significantly improves lipid profiles (total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides, HDL) in adults with baseline dyslipidemia.

If you have high cholesterol or triglycerides, a structured 16-week program that combines digital tracking with regular coaching from health professionals can significantly improve your lipid levels. Focus on the specific dietary and activity advice provided for your risk profile rather than generic advice.

Resistance training with heavy loads performed at maximal volitional velocity yields superior power gains compared to light-load power training, contradicting the view that lighter loads are inherently superior for power output.

To build power, you must lift heavy weights (relative to your strength) but move them as fast as you possibly can. Do not move slowly even if the weight is heavy. The speed of your intent matters more than the absolute weight number for power development.

Powerlifters commonly use IIFYM (If It Fits Your Macros) and flexible dieting as long-term nutritional strategies to support performance and body composition goals across competitive phases.

If you are a competitive powerlifter, you do not need to eliminate entire food groups to succeed. Many successful lifters use IIFYM (tracking macros without food restrictions) to maintain adherence and performance. Focus on hitting your protein, carb, and fat targets while allowing flexibility in food choices to support long-term consistency.

High-intensity functional training (HIFT) is a time-efficient exercise modality that elicits positive affect and improves fitness and glucose metabolism in individuals with metabolic syndrome, potentially mitigating barriers to exercise adherence such as lack of enjoyment and time constraints.

If you struggle with sticking to an exercise routine because you feel you don't have time or you find it boring, try High-Intensity Functional Training (HIFT). It involves short, intense workouts (under an hour) using bodyweight and simple equipment, often in a group setting. This approach is designed to be more enjoyable and time-efficient, which may help you stick with it longer and improve your metabolic health markers like blood sugar and lipids.

Setting weight loss as a prioritized goal during a patient-centered life-coaching consultation with a general practitioner significantly increases the likelihood and magnitude of weight loss in young adults with psychosocial problems compared to no consultation or non-weight-focused consultation.

If you are struggling with weight and have other life stressors, ask your doctor for a dedicated 'life coaching' or 'preventive health' consultation. Explicitly state that weight loss is your top priority for the coming year. This structured discussion, focusing on your personal barriers and resources, is more effective than standard brief advice.