Browse the evidence

Intermittent fasting and continuous energy restriction produce similar improvements in fasting plasma glucose levels, with no statistically significant difference between the two methods.

If your goal is to improve blood sugar levels, you do not need to fast. Reducing your overall calorie intake through standard dieting is just as effective as intermittent fasting for glycemic control. Focus on the total amount of food you eat rather than when you eat it for these outcomes.

Intermittent Fasting (IF) produces weight loss comparable to continuous caloric restriction, but is generally not recommended for Type 2 Diabetes patients due to hypoglycemia risk.

Intermittent fasting can help you lose weight just as well as counting calories every day. However, if you have Type 2 Diabetes, do not try this without a doctor's supervision due to the risk of low blood sugar.

Aerobic exercise combined with 16:8 TRE yields greater reductions in body weight and fat mass than resistance training combined with 16:8 TRE.

If you prefer resistance training, adding 16:8 TRE may still help with fat loss, but the additional benefit from TRE appears greater when combined with aerobic exercise. For maximal short-term fat loss with TRE, aerobic exercise may be the more synergistic choice.

Triple agonists targeting GLP-1, GIP, and Glucagon receptors improve energy expenditure and restore body weight in diet-induced obesity models more effectively than dual or mono-agonists.

Triple hormone agonists (GLP-1/GIP/Glucagon) are in development and show promise in animal studies for boosting energy expenditure and weight loss beyond what dual agonists achieve. They are not yet standard clinical care.

Semaglutide therapy in older adults with type 2 diabetes accelerates muscle mass loss and functional decline, with higher doses and lower baseline muscle mass predicting greater loss.

If you are taking Semaglutide and are over 65 with diabetes, monitor your muscle strength. The medication can cause muscle loss, especially at higher doses. To counter this, focus on resistance training and adequate protein intake, and discuss dose adjustments with your doctor if you notice weakness.

Adipose-specific overexpression of UCP1 via hADP promoter-modified plasmids induces thermogenesis and energy expenditure, leading to significant fat mass loss without lean mass loss in obese mice.

This research suggests that stimulating fat tissue to burn energy (thermogenesis) via a specific gene therapy could reduce fat mass without losing muscle. While promising in mice, this is not yet a human treatment. The key takeaway is that targeting energy expenditure in fat cells is a viable strategy for obesity, potentially avoiding the gut side effects of current drugs like GLP-1 agonists.

Bariatric surgery may not provide long-term reductions in depressive symptoms for patients with obesity and depression, despite improving quality of life.

Bariatric surgery is effective for weight loss but may not resolve depression long-term. Ensure you have a mental health support plan before and after surgery.

Discontinuation of incretin therapy leads to weight regain that is proportional in composition (fat and lean mass) to the initial loss, challenging the belief that regained weight is predominantly fat.

If you stop your GLP-1 medication, you will likely regain weight. Contrary to popular belief, this regained weight is not just fat; it includes muscle and other lean tissue, following a similar ratio to what you lost. However, older adults may struggle to regenerate muscle, so maintaining activity is crucial.

Intentional weight loss induces physiological adaptations in energy expenditure and intake that actively oppose weight maintenance, contributing to weight regain.

If you have lost weight, expect your body to fight to regain it through increased hunger and lower energy burn. This is a biological adaptation, not a character flaw. Successful maintenance likely requires strategies that address these specific physiological drivers, such as managing hunger cues and adjusting activity levels, rather than relying on willpower alone.

Mild mitochondrial uncoupling promotes true ectopic lipid disposal by dissipating substrate energy as heat, thereby reducing lipid burden in non-adipose tissues without causing compensatory redistribution (the 'ballooning effect').

Current research suggests that 'mild' mitochondrial uncoupling is a promising therapeutic avenue for treating metabolic diseases like fatty liver and diabetes by burning off excess fat as heat. However, these are experimental pharmaceutical interventions (e.g., CRMP, BAM15) not yet available for general use. Natural methods like exercise and cold exposure also induce mild uncoupling and are the current safe way to leverage this mechanism.

Short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) produced by gut bacteria have complex effects: while generally beneficial for blood pressure regulation via GPCR activation, increased production in obesity may contribute to calorie harvest and weight gain.

Fiber is good for your heart, but if you are struggling with weight, be aware that your gut bacteria might be extracting more calories from your food. Focus on a balanced diet rather than just maximizing fiber intake if weight loss is a primary goal.

The integration of digital health and artificial intelligence is expected to advance antiobesity drug development.

Practitioners should consider how digital health tools and AI may enhance treatment strategies for obesity.

Those who reported use of prescription weight loss medication were significantly older and had significantly higher body mass index compared to those who did not report use.

Practitioners should consider age and BMI when assessing patients for prescription weight loss medications.

Eating disorder attitudes and behaviors were more prevalent among boys and men who used prescription weight loss medication.

Practitioners should monitor for eating disorder symptoms in patients using prescription weight loss medications.

40.4% of gym users in Sarajevo reported regular food supplement consumption.

Practitioners should be aware that a significant portion of gym users are consuming supplements regularly.

Self-prescription is the predominant method of food supplement use among gym users, with 40.3% reporting this practice.

Practitioners should consider the implications of self-prescription on supplement safety and effectiveness.

Males reported higher food supplement consumption compared to females.

Practitioners should tailor their advice and education on supplements considering gender differences.

43.5% of participants aged 40 and above in Bo District have at least one physiological risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, such as hypertension, obesity, or diabetes.

Health interventions should target older adults to reduce cardiovascular disease risk.

Interest in non-evidence-based practices was greater among women and Black/African American patients.

Healthcare providers should consider demographic factors when discussing weight loss options.

Interest in GLP-1s was associated with lower education and greater social norms.

Understanding educational background may help tailor discussions about GLP-1s.

Past use of non-evidence-based practices was associated with greater pharmaceutical distrust.

Addressing distrust in pharmaceuticals may improve patient engagement with evidence-based treatments.

Current human evidence on the effects of GLP-1 RAs on periodontal health is limited and observational.

Practitioners should be cautious in applying findings from limited human studies to clinical practice.

40.9% of participants demonstrated high adherence to medication, while 42.6% had low adherence.

Practitioners should be aware that adherence levels are suboptimal in this population.

Key barriers to medication adherence include poor diabetes knowledge, depression, polypharmacy, side effects, inadequate patient-provider communication, and lack of continuity in care.

Addressing these barriers may improve medication adherence.