Browse the evidence

Higher fruit consumption (servings per week) is significantly associated with increased odds of weight loss maintenance, whereas other individual Mediterranean diet components (vegetables, legumes, olive oil) were not significant when analyzed in isolation.

Increase your weekly fruit intake. Each additional serving per week is associated with a 3% higher chance of keeping weight off. Focus on whole fruits rather than juices to maximize fiber and satiety benefits.

Adherence to a healthful plant-based diet (hPDI) is associated with lower risk of obesity and less weight gain, whereas adherence to an unhealthful plant-based diet (uPDI) is associated with higher risk of obesity and more weight gain.

To manage weight, focus on the quality of your plant foods. Prioritize whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, and legumes (healthful plant foods) while limiting refined grains and added sugars (unhealthful plant foods). Simply being vegetarian is not enough; the quality of the plants matters significantly for preventing obesity.

An intensive lifestyle intervention combining a low-energy diet (approx. 800 kcal/day via meal replacements) and physical activity (≥150 min/week) can induce remission of type 2 diabetes in younger patients with early-onset disease.

If you have early-stage type 2 diabetes and are under 50, a structured program involving very low-calorie meal replacements (around 800 calories) for the first few months, followed by a gradual return to solid foods, combined with at least 150 minutes of weekly exercise, may help you achieve diabetes remission. This approach focuses on significant weight loss rather than just symptom management.

A Low Energy Diet (LED) of 800-1000 kcal/day induces significant weight loss in overweight individuals without apparent risk, and when combined with exercise, aids in weight maintenance and improves metabolic markers.

A Low Energy Diet (800-1000 kcal/day) using structured meal replacements (soups, shakes) can produce significant weight loss safely. To maintain this loss, the protocol transitions to a high-protein, low-glycemic index maintenance diet, supported by regular dietician visits.

A formula-based low-calorie diet (800 kcal/day) supplemented with 200g non-starchy vegetables for 8 weeks serves as an effective weight loss induction phase for adults with obesity (BMI 30-39.9), provided participants achieve >4kg weight loss to qualify for maintenance.

To kickstart weight loss, use a structured 8-week program involving 800 kcal of formula meals daily, plus 200g of non-starchy vegetables. This creates a strong caloric deficit. You must lose at least 4kg in these 8 weeks to move to the next phase of personalized maintenance.

Whey protein concentrate (WPC) supplementation promotes weight loss, satiety, and improved body composition without compromising lean body mass loss.

If you are trying to lose weight, choose Whey Protein Concentrate (WPC). It helps you feel full (satiety), lose weight, and improve your body composition while protecting your lean muscle mass. Incorporate it into your daily diet.

High-intensity sprint training can reduce abdominal fat tissue more effectively than moderate-intensity aerobic training with similar energy expenditure.

If you have time constraints or want to target abdominal fat, consider incorporating high-intensity sprint training. It may be more effective for abdominal fat loss than moderate-intensity exercise, even if you burn the same number of calories.

Inpatient very-low-calorie diet (VLCD) at 5 kcal/kg/day for approximately 20 weeks significantly reduces liver size and abdominal adipose tissue, thereby minimizing surgical risks and enabling successful bariatric surgery in patients with extreme obesity (BMI ≥ 50 kg/m²).

If you have extreme obesity (BMI 50+), standard dieting often fails to reduce surgical risks enough for safe operation. This protocol suggests a supervised, inpatient very-low-calorie diet (5 kcal/kg/day) for about 20 weeks. This drastic measure shrinks the liver and fat, making surgery much safer, even without exercise or drugs. It is a high-commitment bridge to a life-changing surgery.

Higher dietary fibre intake reduces body weight, BMI, and waist circumference, and improves blood lipid profiles (total cholesterol, LDL, triglycerides) in adults with diabetes.

Eating more fibre can help you lose a small amount of weight and improve your cholesterol levels, even if you don't try to eat less. This is a sustainable way to improve your overall metabolic health.

Maintaining adequate energy availability (≥45 kcal·kg LBM⁻¹·day⁻¹) is essential to prevent stress fractures and optimize bone health in athletes, as low energy availability directly reduces bone formation and increases bone resorption.

To prevent stress fractures, ensure your daily energy intake relative to your lean body mass is at least 45 kcal per kg of lean body mass. If you struggle to hit this number due to high training loads, consider cycling your energy intake: maintain higher availability during training blocks and strategically lower it only during specific race-weight phases, but never chronically below this threshold.

Weight loss interventions, including lifestyle changes and bariatric surgery, reduce blood pressure, glomerular hyperfiltration, and proteinuria in obese patients with CKD.

If you are overweight and have early kidney disease or diabetes, losing weight through diet and exercise can significantly lower your risk of developing kidney failure. This is achieved by reducing the workload on your kidneys. However, if you have advanced kidney disease, weight loss decisions must be made carefully with your doctor, as your body may need extra reserves to fight illness.

Natural bodybuilders in the off-season should consume a hyper-energetic diet (~10–20% above maintenance) targeting a weight gain of 0.25–0.5% of bodyweight per week, with advanced lifters using a more conservative surplus to minimize fat gain.

Calculate your maintenance calories. Add 10-20% if you are new to lifting, or 5-10% if you are advanced. Weigh yourself daily and average it weekly. If you gain more than 0.5% of your body weight, reduce calories slightly. If you gain less, increase them slightly. This prevents excessive fat gain while supporting muscle growth.

In individuals with obesity, intentional or observed weight loss reduces the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and myocardial infarction compared to weight maintenance.

If you have obesity, losing weight significantly lowers your risk of heart attacks and coronary heart disease. While this study noted a potential increase in stroke risk, the strong reduction in heart disease risk suggests that weight reduction is beneficial for cardiovascular health in this population. Focus on sustainable weight loss strategies.

Female age-group swimmers consuming less than 2000 kcal daily despite high training loads exhibit significant carbohydrate deficiency relative to energy expenditure, leading to an estimated 800 kcal daily energy deficit.

If you are a female swimmer training 6000m daily, your current intake is likely insufficient. You need to increase total calories and specifically carbohydrates to match your expenditure, aiming for at least 7g/kg/day if possible, to avoid energy deficits that impair performance and recovery.

Fast weight loss achieved via severe energy restriction (65-75% deficit) using very low energy diet (VLED) products supplemented with whey protein isolate can safely preserve fat-free mass and induce ketosis without compromising micronutrient intake, provided protein intake is matched to body weight (1 g/kg).

To lose weight quickly and safely, aim for a severe calorie deficit (65-75% of your maintenance calories) using a structured Very Low Energy Diet (VLED) like meal replacement shakes. Crucially, add a plain whey protein powder to ensure you get 1 gram of protein per kilogram of your body weight daily, and keep carbs under 100g to induce ketosis, which helps control hunger. Adjust your shake count every 4 weeks as you lose weight to keep protein intake proportional to your new body weight.

Referral to a structured, telephone-based weight management and healthy lifestyle program significantly reduces knee pain intensity and improves physical function in overweight or obese patients with knee osteoarthritis compared to usual care.

If you have knee osteoarthritis and are overweight, ask your doctor about a free, telephone-based weight management program. These programs use health coaches to help you make sustainable changes to your diet and activity levels over 6 months. This approach can reduce knee pain and improve function without requiring you to travel to a clinic, which is especially helpful if your knee pain makes movement difficult.

Significant weight loss (approx. 15% body weight) via once-weekly subcutaneous injections (e.g., semaglutide, tirzepatide) or bariatric surgery is an achievable and effective option for reducing CVD risk and improving glycemia in patients with RA or PsA, although evidence for disease activity improvement is mixed.

For RA/PsA patients with obesity, significant weight loss (~15%) via weekly GLP-1/GIP injections or bariatric surgery can improve glycemia and reduce CVD risk. However, evidence that this weight loss improves joint disease activity is mixed. Discuss these options with your doctor, considering cost and access.

In patients with type 2 diabetes, achieving >=10% weight loss in the first year of lifestyle intervention is associated with a significantly reduced risk of the primary composite cardiovascular outcome and cardiovascular death/MI/stroke.

If you are doing lifestyle changes for diabetes, aiming for a 10% weight loss in the first year is a strong predictor of better heart health outcomes, including reduced risk of heart attack and stroke. This benefit exists even if the overall trial didn't show a statistically significant difference for everyone.

A 12-week behavioral modification program combining a 300-500 kcal/day caloric deficit with increased physical activity significantly reduces body weight, BMI, and serum triglycerides in young obese adults.

For young adults with obesity, a structured 12-week program focusing on creating a moderate caloric deficit (300-500 kcal/day) and increasing physical activity, supported by regular counseling and education, can lead to significant weight loss and improved metabolic health. Key factors for success include active participation, realistic goal setting, and addressing lifestyle barriers.

Creatine supplementation increases strength, performance in short-duration high-intensity exercises, and total force by increasing ATP availability and potentially enhancing satellite cell differentiation.

If you do high-intensity or short-duration exercise, creatine is a safe and effective way to boost strength and performance. You do not need to worry about kidney damage or cramping if you are healthy.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) performed for 7 weeks leads to significant long-term reductions in body mass, fat mass, and visceral fat area in women with overweight/obesity, even two years after the intervention ends, whereas Time-Restricted Eating (TRE) alone does not significantly reduce these metrics compared to baseline in the long term.

For women with overweight or obesity, incorporating High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) into your routine, even just 3 times a week, can lead to significant, lasting reductions in body fat and visceral fat, even two years after you stop supervised training. While Time-Restricted Eating helps with habit formation, it may not be enough on its own for significant fat loss; combining it with HIIT or focusing on HIIT yields better long-term body composition results.

Elite football players should consume 6-8g of carbohydrates per kg of body weight on match days and 48-72 hours between matches to maximize muscle and liver glycogen stores and prevent performance-depleting fatigue.

On match days, aim for 6-8 grams of carbohydrates for every kilogram of your body weight. If you have matches close together (every few days), maintain this high intake for 48-72 hours between games. To avoid stomach issues, use sports drinks or gels rather than trying to force down huge amounts of solid food right before kickoff.

Post-match carbohydrate intake of ~1g/kg body weight per hour for 4 hours is required to maximize glycogen resynthesis and recovery speed.

After a match, eat carbohydrates at a rate of 1 gram per kilogram of body weight every hour for the next 4 hours. If you aren't hungry, drink your carbs using sports drinks or recovery shakes to ensure your muscles refill their energy stores for the next session.

Dehydration of 2% body weight loss impairs football performance, and players should aim to prevent this loss by consuming 5-7ml/kg of fluid 2-4 hours before the match.

To avoid performance drops, do not lose more than 2% of your body weight through sweat. Start hydrating 2-4 hours before kickoff by drinking 5-7ml of water for every kg of your body weight. Check your urine color; it should be light yellow. If it's dark, drink more.