Browse the evidence

Orlistat (360 mg/day) produces significantly greater total body weight loss and fat mass reduction than metformin (1000 mg/day) in obese premenopausal women over 3 months.

If you are an obese premenopausal woman looking to lose weight, orlistat (360mg/day) combined with a balanced diet is likely to produce significantly greater weight loss than metformin (1000mg/day) over a 3-month period. Be prepared for potential gastrointestinal side effects, which are usually mild.

Energy-restricted dietary interventions (specifically very-low-calorie diets of 600-853 kcal/day) can induce remission of type 2 diabetes (HbA1c <6.5% without medication), with remission rates strongly correlated with the magnitude of weight loss and inversely correlated with the duration of diabetes.

If you have recently been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, aggressive calorie restriction (often via meal replacements around 600-850 kcal/day for a few months) under medical supervision can potentially put your diabetes into remission. The key factors are losing a significant amount of weight (often >10% of body weight) and acting early in the diagnosis. This is not just about weight loss for aesthetics, but a medical intervention to restore metabolic health.

Moderate caloric restriction (approx. 3% body weight loss) significantly improves insulin sensitivity (measured by HOMA-IR, QUICKI, and Matsuda index) in middle-aged obese pre-menopausal women, despite not improving early-phase beta-cell function.

For obese women, aiming for a modest 3% body weight loss through a moderate caloric deficit (around 1,200 kcal/day) for 12 weeks can significantly improve insulin sensitivity. This metabolic benefit occurs even if early-stage beta-cell function doesn't improve, suggesting that moderate lifestyle changes are effective for preventing type 2 diabetes in this demographic.

Very Low-Energy Diets (VLEDs), defined as 1700–3330 kJ/day, produce rapid and significant short-term weight loss (9–26 kg over 4–20 weeks) in adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m²), though long-term maintenance is variable and often requires behavioral or pharmacological support.

If you have a BMI over 30, a Very Low-Energy Diet (VLED) is a clinically supervised, severe restriction of calories (400-800 kcal/day) typically using meal replacements. It works fast, shedding 9-26 kg in a few months. However, keeping the weight off is hard without adding behavioral support or medication, and you must transition carefully to regular food to avoid regaining it.

An energy-reduced diet with moderate protein (approx 20-30%) and increased nonfat dairy (4-5 servings/day) combined with daily walking produces significant weight loss and fat mass reduction in overweight/obese women, with no significant difference in outcomes compared to a standard protein/dairy control diet.

To lose weight and fat, focus on creating an energy deficit through a reduced-calorie diet and regular walking. Adding moderate protein and nonfat dairy is healthy and supports the diet, but it does not provide a significant advantage over a standard calorie-restricted diet. Consistency in calorie reduction and activity is more important than specific macronutrient targets like high protein or extra dairy.

Intermittent Energy Restriction (IER) using a 5:2 diet pattern is equally effective as Continuous Energy Restriction (CER) for reducing body weight and blood pressure in overweight and obese patients with hypertension over a 6-month period.

If you have high blood pressure and are overweight, trying a 5:2 diet (eating very little, around 500-600 calories, on two non-consecutive days a week and eating normally the other five days) can lower your blood pressure and help you lose weight just as well as eating slightly less every single day. You should consult your doctor to adjust any blood pressure or diabetes medications, as your needs may change with weight loss.

Increasing physical activity level (PAL) from 1.7 to 1.9 through moderate-to-vigorous exercise for 8 weeks creates a sustained negative energy balance and reduces adipose tissue mass in normal-weight and overweight men, despite ad libitum food intake remaining unchanged.

If you are a normal-weight or overweight man, increasing your daily activity to burn an extra ~500 calories (2092 kJ) daily, 5 days a week, through moderate-to-vigorous exercise (like brisk walking, jogging, or cycling) for 8 weeks will likely result in fat loss, even if you eat whatever you want. Your body does not automatically compensate by making you eat more, creating a sustainable energy deficit.

Alternate-day modified fasting (ADMF) produces greater weight loss and BMI reduction compared to daily calorie restriction (CR) in overweight/obese women over 8 weeks.

If you are an overweight woman looking to lose weight, try Alternate-Day Modified Fasting. On fasting days, eat only 25% of your calculated daily calories (mostly lunch). On feeding days, eat 100% of your daily calories. Keep your macronutrient ratio at 15% protein, 30% fat, and 55% carbs. This method may help you lose more weight and stick to the diet better than eating less every day.

Intermittent fasting significantly reduces body weight and BMI in overweight and obese adults compared to control diets, with alternate-day fasting showing superior weight loss effects compared to time-restricted eating.

Intermittent fasting is an effective strategy for weight loss in overweight and obese individuals. Alternate-day fasting appears to offer greater weight loss benefits than time-restricted eating. To implement, choose a method (like ADF, TRE, or 5:2) that fits your lifestyle, ensuring you maintain a caloric deficit during fasting periods. Consistency over 12+ weeks yields the best results for body composition.

In individuals with type 2 diabetes, combining caloric restriction with high-dose exercise (300-330 minutes/week) significantly reduces fat mass percentage more than caloric restriction alone, while preserving fat-free mass.

For people with type 2 diabetes, dieting alone causes muscle loss along with fat. To maximize fat loss and keep muscle, you must add exercise. Aim for 6 sessions a week (300-330 mins total) mixing cardio and weights. If that is too much, start with 3 sessions (150-165 mins), which still burns more fat than dieting alone without losing muscle.

High-dose exercise (300-330 min/week) preserves fat-free mass during caloric restriction in type 2 diabetes, whereas moderate exercise (150-165 min/week) and diet-only interventions result in fat-free mass loss.

If you have type 2 diabetes and are dieting, you risk losing muscle. To stop this, you need high-volume exercise (at least 5 hours a week) including weights. Standard '150 minutes of exercise' guidelines are not enough to protect your muscle mass during weight loss.

Combined exercise and dietary interventions produce significantly greater body weight loss than exercise alone in adults with overweight or obesity, but do not significantly reduce ectopic fat (liver fat, visceral fat area, or intramuscular triglycerides) compared to exercise alone.

If your goal is simply to lose body weight, adding exercise to your diet will help you lose more weight than dieting alone. However, if your specific goal is to reduce ectopic fat (fat in your liver, visceral area, or muscles), simply combining diet and exercise may not be more effective than exercise alone. You may need to focus on specific types of exercise or longer durations (>12 weeks) to target these specific fat depots, as general weight loss does not guarantee ectopic fat reduction.

Long-term interventions (>12 weeks) involving either exercise or caloric restriction are successful in decreasing visceral fat area (VFA) in adults with overweight or obesity, whereas short-term interventions may not be.

To reduce visceral fat, you need to stick with your exercise or diet plan for more than 12 weeks. Short-term efforts may not be enough to target this specific type of fat. Consistency over time is key.

A hypocaloric diet leads to statistically significant weight loss in adults with overweight or obesity regardless of whether the macronutrient composition is high-protein or high-carbohydrate.

To lose weight, you must create a caloric deficit. This study shows that whether you get those calories from protein or carbohydrates matters less than the total calorie reduction. A daily reduction of 500 kcal led to significant weight loss regardless of the macronutrient split. Choose the diet composition you can sustain best while maintaining this deficit.

A modest reduced-calorie diet (75% of energy requirements) for two months significantly improves lipid profiles, blood pressure, and specific inflammatory markers (ICAM-1, MCP-1) in overweight/obese adults with cardiovascular risk factors.

If you are overweight or obese and have high blood pressure, cholesterol, or blood sugar, cutting your daily calories to 75% of what your body normally burns (a 25% reduction) for two months can significantly lower your bad cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure. It also reduces specific markers of blood vessel inflammation. You do not need to change your exercise routine, but you should avoid omega-3 supplements during this period. Focus on filling your reduced calories with vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins to stay full.

A daily caloric deficit of 500-1,000 kcal (low-calorie diet) produces a weight loss of 0.5-1.0 kg per week and up to 10% body weight over 6 months.

To lose weight steadily, reduce your daily calorie intake by 500 to 1,000 calories compared to what you normally eat. This moderate deficit typically results in losing 0.5 to 1.0 kg per week. Over six months, this approach can help you lose about 10% of your body weight. Focus on sustainable habits rather than extreme restriction.

In well-trained males, full-body resistance training routines produce significantly greater fat mass loss than split-body routines when weekly training volume is matched.

If you are an experienced male lifter trying to lose fat, switch to a full-body routine (training all major muscle groups 5 days a week) instead of splitting body parts across the week. Keep your total weekly sets the same (around 75 sets). This approach will likely help you lose more fat because you will feel less sore and move more during the rest of your day, burning more calories overall.

Progressive weight loss exceeding 30% induces 100% remission of hyperinsulinemia (HI) and insulin resistance (IR) in individuals with overweight or obesity, whereas lower weight loss thresholds yield partial or no remission.

If you have high insulin or insulin resistance, losing a small amount of weight (5-10%) will help your health, but it likely won't cure the metabolic issue. To fully reverse hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance, you generally need to lose more than 30% of your body weight through a sustained, intensive lifestyle and medical program over a year.

Lifestyle modifications (diet and physical activity) produce 5-10% weight loss and improve metabolic health, serving as the recommended first-line therapy for obesity.

Adopt a sustainable diet that creates a caloric deficit and engage in regular physical activity, including both aerobic exercise and strength training. This approach reliably yields 5-10% body weight loss and improves metabolic health markers like blood pressure and HbA1c. Consistency and realistic goal-setting are key to long-term success.

Time-restricted feeding (4-8 hour eating window) without caloric restriction significantly reduces body weight and fat mass compared to ad-libitum control diets in overweight or obese adults.

To lose weight using time-restricted feeding, choose a daily window of 4 to 8 hours for all your meals (e.g., 12 PM to 8 PM). Eat normally within this window without counting calories. Maintain this schedule for at least 8 weeks. You can expect to lose approximately 2 kg more than if you ate whenever you wanted, along with a reduction in body fat.

Time-restricted eating (TRE) significantly reduces body weight, fat mass, BMI, and waist circumference in adults, but does not significantly reduce fat mass percentage.

If you are an adult looking to lose weight and body fat, restricting your daily eating window to 12-20 hours (fasting for 4-12 hours) is an effective strategy. You can expect significant reductions in body weight, waist circumference, and fat mass. However, be aware that this method also leads to a loss of fat-free mass (muscle) and does not significantly change your body fat percentage. It is not necessarily superior to standard calorie restriction for weight loss, but may be easier to adhere to for some people.

Reducing total caloric intake by 500-1,000 kcal daily (Low-Calorie Diet) is a safe, practical, and effective primary strategy for obesity management, yielding 0.5-1.0 kg weight loss per week.

To lose weight safely, reduce your daily calories by 500 to 1,000 compared to what you normally eat. This simple deficit typically results in losing 0.5 to 1.0 kg per week and is considered safe for most people without strict medical supervision.

Intermittent fasting (16:8 time-restricted eating) produces significantly greater weight loss and improvements in fasting glucose and triglycerides compared to standard calorie restriction in obese adults over an 8-week period.

If you are obese and struggling with weight loss, try a 16:8 intermittent fasting schedule (eat within an 8-hour window, fast for 16) for at least 8 weeks. This approach may yield better weight loss and metabolic improvements than simply counting calories, and it is generally well-tolerated.

Weight loss through diet and exercise is recommended to manage obesity and can improve cardiovascular parameters, such as reducing cardiac filling pressures and relieving symptoms like edema and dyspnea.

Losing weight through diet and exercise is the standard recommendation for managing obesity. Even modest weight loss can significantly reduce the strain on your heart, lowering blood pressure and reducing symptoms like swelling and shortness of breath.