Browse the evidence

Repeated exposure to calorie labeling and value pricing modifications is likely required to influence food choices, as single exposure yields null results.

One-time exposure to menu changes is unlikely to change eating habits. Long-term exposure and education are likely necessary for behavior change.

COVID-19 lockdowns and associated lifestyle restrictions in the UAE caused significant negative shifts in dietary patterns, physical activity, and psychological well-being, leading to weight gain and increased stress.

During periods of restricted movement or lockdown, prioritize maintaining basic habits over perfection. Focus on home-cooked meals if possible, as the study showed a shift towards homemade meals was common. Incorporate light physical activity even if formal exercise is unavailable, and monitor stress levels, as psychological strain was significantly higher during lockdown.

Individuals who exhibit a pattern of frequent transitions between active and inactive states (intermittent activity) have equivalent self-reported cardiovascular disease prevalence to those with higher overall continuous activity, challenging the assumption that total volume is the sole determinant of cardiovascular risk.

You do not need to find long blocks of time to exercise for cardiovascular health. Breaking up your day with frequent short bursts of movement (getting up, walking, moving) may be just as beneficial for your heart as doing one long continuous workout. Focus on changing your state from sitting to moving frequently throughout the day.

Unhealthy eating habits, specifically consuming energy drinks, sugar-sweetened beverages, skipping breakfast, and eating irregularly, are significantly associated with poor sleep quality.

Your eating schedule matters as much as what you eat. Skipping breakfast, eating irregularly, and drinking energy drinks or sugary sodas are all linked to worse sleep. Try to eat regular meals, including breakfast, and avoid caffeinated energy drinks, especially in the afternoon or evening.

Late bedtimes and late wake-up times are associated with unfavorable weight status and activity patterns in adolescents, independent of sleep duration.

For adolescents, shifting bedtime and wake time later is linked to higher obesity risk, largely due to increased screen time and reduced physical activity, regardless of total sleep hours. Encouraging earlier bedtimes may help reduce sedentary behavior and improve weight status.

Social media dependence during lockdown increases sedentary time and causes emotional detachment, although it can be used as a tool for fitness motivation.

Limit social media scrolling to prevent emotional detachment and excessive sedentary time. Use social media actively for fitness motivation (e.g., following trainers, watching workout videos) rather than passively consuming negative news or entertainment.

Aerobic rehabilitation exercise (including yoga, tai chi, and qigong) reduces psychological stress and improves sleep quality in high-stress medical staff.

If you are a healthcare worker under high stress, incorporate simple, low-impact exercises like yoga, tai chi, or qigong into your routine. These activities are specifically noted to help reduce psychological stress and improve sleep quality, which are critical for recovery during high-pressure periods.

A digital music and movement intervention (danceSing Care) is feasible and improves anxiety, depression, and sleep satisfaction in older adults in care homes.

Consider digital music and movement interventions, such as danceSing Care, to improve anxiety, depression, and sleep satisfaction in older adults living in care homes.

Physical inactivity in older adults (55+) is significantly associated with functional limitations, depression, poor memory, and a low sense of meaning in life, with prevalence varying from 4.9% to 29% across Europe.

For older adults, staying active is not just about fitness but is linked to mental well-being and functional independence. If you are inactive, consider that physical limitations, depression, or a lack of life purpose might be contributing factors. Addressing these underlying issues through social support, cognitive strategies, and tailored physical activity programs can help break the cycle of inactivity and improve quality of life.

Deep-water running (with buoyancy belt) is an effective recovery method for restoring muscle strength and reducing perceived soreness following plyometric exercise, though it does not prevent delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

If you have access to a pool and a buoyancy belt, use it for 30 minutes at a moderate intensity for 3 days after intense plyometric training (like heavy jumping). It helps restore strength faster and makes you feel less sore during the session, even if it doesn't stop muscle damage markers.

Providing diabetes-appropriate food boxes combined with self-management support and HbA1c monitoring to food-insecure adults with diabetes improves glycemic control (HbA1c) and dietary intake.

If you have diabetes and struggle to afford healthy food, look for local food pantries that offer 'diabetes-appropriate' food boxes. These boxes typically contain whole grains, lean proteins, and vegetables. Ask if they offer any support like blood sugar monitoring or education. This combination of free healthy food and health support can help lower your blood sugar levels and improve your diet.

Obesity is associated with a higher consumption of energy-dense foods, but this is driven by cue-reactivity and desire rather than a heightened hedonic liking (pleasure) for those foods.

While obese individuals may consume more energy-dense foods, this is not necessarily because they enjoy them more. Focus on managing environmental cues and your motivation to eat, rather than assuming you simply have a stronger taste preference for these foods.

University students' physical activity levels significantly decreased and sedentary behavior significantly increased during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, failing to offset the health risks of prolonged sitting.

If you are a student or young adult, expect your activity levels to drop and sitting time to rise during periods of confinement or routine disruption. To mitigate this, you must intentionally schedule movement, as the default environment will likely increase sedentary time by several hours daily.

Positional therapy (PT) significantly reduces the Apnea-Hypopnea Index (AHI) in patients with position-dependent obstructive sleep apnea (POSA), though it is less effective than CPAP at normalizing AHI, while offering superior long-term compliance.

If you have sleep apnea that gets worse when you sleep on your back, positional therapy is a valid, non-invasive treatment option. It works by keeping you off your back, which significantly reduces breathing interruptions (AHI). While it may not be as powerful as CPAP at completely eliminating apneas, it is often easier to stick with long-term because it is less intrusive. Devices range from simple tennis ball techniques to modern vibrating neck devices. The key is finding a method you can tolerate nightly.

The association between better neighborhood physical environments and lower BMI is partially mediated by healthier diet and higher physical activity levels.

Improving your neighborhood's walkability and food access works partly by making it easier to eat better and move more. If you can't change your neighborhood, you must consciously replicate these environmental cues (e.g., pre-planning meals, scheduling exercise) to achieve similar benefits.

Interventions that measure exercise duration as an outcome variable yield larger effect sizes than those that do not.

When designing or following an activity program, focusing on how long you exercise (duration) may be a more effective strategy than focusing solely on how often (frequency) or how hard (intensity).

A higher Overall Lifestyle Score (OLS), driven primarily by physical activity, is significantly associated with a lower likelihood of obesity and hypertension.

Improving your Overall Lifestyle Score, particularly through increased physical activity, significantly reduces your risk of obesity and hypertension. In urban environments where sedentary jobs are common, prioritizing moderate-to-vigorous physical activity is more critical for metabolic health than diet quality alone.

Intensive behavior therapy combining structured dietary counseling and physical activity improves liver histology and insulin resistance in NAFLD patients, whereas prescriptive diet-only interventions do not.

To treat fatty liver, you need more than a diet sheet. You need a structured program with weekly support, goal setting, and self-monitoring of food and activity. This approach leads to better liver health than just being told to eat less.

Self-reported behaviors of eating until full and eating quickly are independently and jointly associated with being overweight (BMI ≥25.0) in Japanese adults, with the combination of both behaviors producing a supra-additive increase in risk.

To manage weight, pay attention to how you eat, not just how much. Eating quickly and eating until full are linked to higher body weight, even when total calories are similar. Try to slow down your eating pace and stop when you are comfortably satisfied rather than completely full, as this may help regulate energy intake and weight status.

Adults with ADHD exhibit significantly reduced weight loss during obesity treatment compared to non-ADHD peers, with the disparity being most pronounced in patients with extreme obesity (BMI >= 40).

If you have ADHD and are struggling with weight loss, your difficulty is likely due to executive function challenges (impulsivity, distractibility) rather than a lack of effort. Standard advice may not be enough; you may benefit from specific ADHD treatments (medication or behavioral therapy) to improve adherence to your obesity treatment plan, especially if you have extreme obesity.

Regular didgeridoo playing for four months significantly reduces daytime sleepiness and the apnoea-hypopnoea index in patients with moderate obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome.

If you have moderate sleep apnea and struggle with standard treatments, try learning to play the didgeridoo. Commit to playing for 20-30 minutes, five days a week, for four months. You will likely experience less daytime sleepiness and fewer breathing interruptions during sleep, and your partner will sleep better too. This is not a quick fix but a structured training regimen for your airway muscles.

Increased snacking frequency and reduced time between eating occasions contribute to higher energy intake and obesity, particularly among children and adults in high-income countries.

Reduce snacking frequency. The data shows that as snacking increases, so does total energy intake, especially for children. Try to consolidate eating into distinct meals rather than grazing throughout the day, and increase the time between eating occasions.

Positive changes in perceived neighborhood aesthetics and convenience are associated with increased neighborhood walking in men, while positive changes in convenience and reduced traffic perception are associated with increased walking in women.

If you want to walk more, focus on changing how you perceive your neighborhood. For men, noticing the aesthetics (scenery, friendliness) and convenience (distance to parks/beaches) of your route can double your likelihood of walking more. For women, focusing on the convenience of the route and ensuring traffic isn't a barrier is key. Remember, these perceptions can shift over time, especially if you start with a less positive view.

Maximal exercise testing protocols yield more significant predictive results for cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality than submaximal protocols when measuring heart rate recovery.

If you want to use HRR for accurate risk assessment, you must push to maximal effort during the exercise test. Submaximal efforts may not reveal the full prognostic value of your heart rate recovery.