Browse the evidence

Lifestyle interventions (diet and exercise) remain the most cost-effective and durable strategy for weight loss and diabetes prevention, outperforming microbiome therapies in long-term weight management.

Diet and exercise are the most effective and affordable way to lose weight and prevent diabetes. They outperform probiotics and FMT for weight loss and provide durable benefits.

Achieving type 2 diabetes remission is possible through significant weight loss (≥15 kg) induced by a very low-calorie diet (825–853 kcal/day) without surgery.

To potentially reverse type 2 diabetes, you must lose a significant amount of weight (at least 15 kg or 33 lbs). This requires a strict, medically supervised very low-calorie diet (around 850 calories/day) for 3-5 months, followed by a careful reintroduction of food. This is not a standard diet but a specific medical intervention proven to put diabetes into remission for many people.

Lifestyle interventions targeting abdominal obesity and physical inactivity are the first-line therapy for metabolic syndrome, with a target weight loss of 7-10% over 6-12 months to reduce cardiovascular risk and prevent type 2 diabetes.

To manage metabolic syndrome, prioritize losing 7-10% of your body weight over the next 6-12 months. Do this by eating 500-1000 fewer calories daily and walking briskly for at least 30 minutes on most days. This single approach improves blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar simultaneously, reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes more effectively than medication alone.

Intensive lifestyle intervention targeting 7% weight loss and 150 minutes of weekly physical activity reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes in prediabetic adults by 58% compared to placebo.

To prevent type 2 diabetes, aim to lose 7% of your body weight and get at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. This can be achieved through dietary changes and regular exercise, such as brisk walking. Consistency is key, and structured support programs can help maintain these habits over the long term.

Lifestyle interventions combining diet and moderate-intensity physical activity (≥150 min/week) with a goal of modest weight loss (7%) are more effective than pharmacological intervention (metformin) in preventing or delaying type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals (prediabetes).

If you have prediabetes, prioritize lifestyle changes over medication if possible. Aim for a 7% weight loss and 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. This approach was shown to be nearly twice as effective as metformin in preventing type 2 diabetes in the Diabetes Prevention Program.

Weight loss of 5-10% achieved through caloric restriction and/or increased physical activity is the first-line, evidence-based treatment for NAFLD, with specific thresholds required for steatosis reduction (≥5%), inflammation improvement (7-10%), and fibrosis improvement (≥10%).

Aim for a 5-10% reduction in body weight through a caloric deficit. You do not need to follow a specific 'liver diet' like Keto or Low-Fat; choose a sustainable healthy pattern (like Mediterranean) that you can maintain. Combine this with at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. Even if you are normal weight, losing 3-5% of your body weight can improve liver fat.

Lifestyle intervention (diet, physical activity, behavioral changes) is the cornerstone of obesity treatment and should be initiated in all patients, regardless of whether pharmacotherapy or surgery is added.

Start with lifestyle changes: diet, exercise, and behavior. This is the base for everyone. If you need medication or surgery, it only works well if you keep doing these lifestyle changes.

Comprehensive lifestyle interventions consisting of diet, physical activity, and behavior therapy produce clinically meaningful weight loss (6-8% of initial body weight) and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes, provided a caloric deficit of at least 500 kcal/day is maintained.

To lose weight, you must create a daily caloric deficit of at least 500 calories. You can achieve this through various diets (low-carb, low-fat, etc.) as long as you stick to a calorie target (1,200-1,500 kcal for women, 1,500-1,800 kcal for men). Combine this with 150 minutes of weekly exercise and behavioral strategies like tracking food intake for best results.

Lifestyle modifications, including moderate weight loss (approx 7% body weight) and regular exercise (150 min/week moderate intensity), are cost-effective in preventing or delaying the onset of diabetes and improving glycemic control.

Losing about 7% of your body weight and exercising 150 minutes a week (like brisk walking) can reduce your risk of developing diabetes by 58%. This is the most cost-effective way to manage or prevent diabetes. Combine this with a healthy diet and smoking cessation for best results.

An intensive lifestyle intervention targeting at least 7% weight loss and 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week significantly reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes in high-risk individuals with impaired glucose tolerance compared to standard lifestyle recommendations.

To lower your risk of type 2 diabetes, aim to lose 7% of your body weight and get 150 minutes of moderate exercise (like brisk walking) every week. Focus on reducing dietary fat to less than 25% of your calories. If you struggle, seek support from a structured program that offers regular coaching and flexible strategies tailored to your lifestyle.

Ingesting 30–60 g of rapidly absorbed carbohydrate per hour during exercise lasting longer than one hour reduces fatigue and improves performance.

For any exercise session lasting more than an hour, consume 30-60 grams of carbohydrates per hour. Use drinks or gels containing 4-8% carbohydrate. This helps you maintain energy and delay fatigue.

Physical activity and exercise are effective for weight loss and maintenance, particularly when combined with dietary restriction and long-term behavioral adherence.

Engage in regular, high-level physical activity and combine it with dietary changes for the best weight loss results. Long-term adherence to both diet and exercise is key to maintaining weight loss.

Creatine monohydrate supplementation (loading phase of ~20g/day for 5-7 days followed by maintenance of 3-5g/day) increases intramuscular creatine stores by ~30% and enhances performance in high-intensity exercise lasting less than 150 seconds.

Load with 20g of creatine monohydrate daily (split into 4 doses) for 5-7 days, then switch to 3-5g daily. Take it with a meal containing protein and carbs for better absorption. Expect a 1-2kg weight gain from water retention, which is normal. This will improve your performance in short, high-intensity efforts like sprinting or weightlifting.

Adults should perform at least 150–300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (or 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity) to achieve substantial health benefits.

Aim for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (like brisk walking) per week. You can split this into 30 minutes, 5 days a week. If you prefer higher intensity, 75 minutes is sufficient. Add muscle-strengthening exercises on 2 or more days a week for extra benefits.

Maintaining leanness (low body fatness) and engaging in regular physical activity are recommended strategies to reduce the risk of cancer.

To lower your cancer risk, focus on keeping your body fat at a healthy level and staying physically active. You don't need expensive supplements or extreme diets; consistent movement and maintaining a lean weight are the most powerful steps you can take.

Adhering to national dietary guidelines using minimally processed foods (MPF) results in significantly greater weight loss and fat mass reduction compared to adhering to the same guidelines using ultraprocessed foods (UPF), primarily driven by lower energy intake.

If you want to lose weight, follow your country's official healthy eating guidelines. Doing so with minimally processed foods (like whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables) will help you lose more weight than doing so with ultraprocessed foods (like reformulated cereals and ready meals). However, even if you eat ultraprocessed foods, as long as they meet national nutritional standards (low sugar, salt, and fat, high fiber), you can still lose weight. The key is that minimally processed foods help you eat fewer calories naturally, likely because they are less energy-dense and take longer to eat.

High intake of energy-dense foods (high fat and/or sugar) promotes weight gain through passive overconsumption of total energy, whereas high intake of dietary non-starch polysaccharides (fiber) is protective against obesity.

To prevent weight gain, prioritize foods with low energy density, such as vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains (high in fiber/NSP). Be cautious with energy-dense foods, particularly those high in fat and/or sugar, as they promote passive overconsumption of calories. Do not rely on 'low-fat' labels, as these products may be high in sugar and energy-dense. Focus on the volume and fiber content of your food rather than just macronutrient ratios or eating frequency.

Sedentary lifestyles are a convincing risk factor for obesity, and regular physical activity is a convincing protective factor.

Regular physical activity is a convincing protective factor against obesity, and sedentary lifestyles are a convincing risk factor. Aim to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary time as part of a comprehensive obesity prevention strategy.

Obesity (or preobesity) is a primary upstream risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes, contributing to more than 50% of global T2D disability-adjusted life years.

Excess body weight is the single biggest driver of Type 2 Diabetes risk globally. Losing weight, even modestly, can significantly reduce your risk of developing diabetes and its complications, as it directly addresses the root cause of insulin resistance.

Modest weight loss (approx. 5%) combined with increased physical activity can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than half in obese, insulin-resistant subjects.

If you are obese and at risk for diabetes, aim for a modest 5% weight loss and 30 minutes of physical activity three times a week. This lifestyle change can reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes by more than half.

Lifestyle interventions including diet and exercise can reduce the incidence of Type 2 Diabetes in prediabetic individuals by up to 58%.

If you have prediabetes, aim to lose 5-7% of your body weight and exercise 150 minutes a week. This can reduce your risk of developing full-blown diabetes by more than half.

Bariatric weight loss surgery is significantly more effective than pharmacotherapy and lifestyle modifications for long-term weight loss and improvement of comorbid conditions in eligible patients, yet remains severely underutilized.

If you have severe obesity (BMI ≥ 40, or ≥ 35 with health issues, or ≥ 30 with diabetes) and lifestyle changes haven't worked, bariatric surgery is the most effective long-term solution, far surpassing drugs and diet alone. It improves diabetes and heart health significantly. However, it is rarely recommended by doctors due to misconceptions about risk. If you meet the criteria, ask your doctor for a referral to a bariatric specialist.

Conservative management of obesity requires a structured, multidisciplinary lifestyle intervention (energy-reduced diet, increased physical activity, behavioral therapy) targeting a 5-10% weight loss within 6 months to improve comorbidities.

Start with a modest goal: lose 5-10% of your body weight over 6 months. This is achieved by eating 500-600 calories less per day and moving moderately for 150-300 minutes a week. Work with a team including a doctor and dietitian to make this sustainable.

Type 2 diabetes remission is achievable through significant weight loss (specifically targeting ectopic fat in the liver and pancreas) via very low-calorie diets or bariatric surgery, challenging the view that T2D is an irreversible progressive disease.

To put Type 2 Diabetes into remission, you must lose a significant amount of weight (typically >15kg or >15% of body weight) to remove fat from your liver and pancreas. This is best achieved through a medically supervised Very Low-Calorie Diet (500-800 kcal/day) using meal replacements for 3 months, followed by a structured maintenance plan. This approach is most effective if you have had diabetes for less than 6-10 years.