Browse the evidence

Short-term consumption of ultra-processed foods leads to increased energy intake and weight gain compared to unprocessed diets.

When eating ultra-processed foods, you are likely to eat more calories and gain weight compared to eating unprocessed foods, even if the nutrients are similar.

Weight loss through caloric restriction and dietary modification significantly reduces psoriasis severity (PASI score) and systemic inflammation in obese patients.

If you have psoriasis and are overweight, losing weight is one of the most effective non-pharmacological interventions available. Studies show that losing about 12% of your body weight through structured dietary programs (like very low-calorie ketogenic diets followed by balanced diets) can significantly reduce the severity of your psoriasis symptoms, often achieving a 50-75% improvement in skin clearance. This works by reducing systemic inflammation driven by excess fat tissue.

Bariatric surgery and significant weight loss (>5%) improve asthma control, quality of life, and reduce systemic/airway inflammation in obese asthma patients.

Losing just 5% of your body weight can significantly improve your asthma biomarkers and quality of life. This can be achieved through surgery or structured lifestyle changes. If you have metabolic issues alongside obesity, you may need a more targeted approach, but weight loss remains a key strategy.

Telehealth-delivered dietetic services are cost-effective compared to in-person delivery, reducing healthcare expenditure on medications and hospital costs.

Telehealth is not just clinically effective but also more cost-effective than in-person visits. For patients, this may mean lower out-of-pocket costs or better value for money. For healthcare systems, it reduces overall expenditure on medications and hospitalizations.

Soy protein has a high quality score (PDCAAS ~1.0 and DIAAS up to 117%) and is as effective as animal proteins for weight management and satiety.

If you are trying to lose weight, soy protein is a good option. It helps you feel full just as well as meat or whey protein. You don't need to avoid soy to lose weight; it can be part of your strategy.

Obesity and overweight are strongly associated with a significantly higher prevalence of dyslipidemia in Iranian adults, with obese individuals being 2.8 times more likely to have dyslipidemia compared to normal-weight individuals.

Maintaining a healthy body weight is one of the most effective ways to prevent dyslipidemia. If you are overweight or obese, focusing on sustainable weight loss through improved diet and increased physical activity can significantly reduce your risk of developing high cholesterol or triglycerides.

Weight loss of 2.5-15% improves glycemic control in Type 2 Diabetes, while 5-10% weight loss may prevent knee pain in obesity-related osteoarthritis.

You don't need to lose massive amounts of weight to see health benefits. Losing just 2.5-15% of your body weight can significantly improve blood sugar control in diabetes, and losing 5-10% can help prevent knee pain. Focus on these achievable targets.

Regular physical activity, specifically 150 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic and resistance exercise, improves insulin sensitivity and glycemic control in Type 2 Diabetes patients.

Aim for 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous exercise per week, combining aerobic and resistance activities. If you cannot do it all at once, break it into smaller sessions. Aim for 10,000 steps a day. If you are on insulin, monitor your blood sugar to prevent hypoglycemia.

Aerobic exercise reduces visceral adipose tissue (VAT) independently of weight loss, and 150 minutes per week is sufficient for this reduction, whereas resistance training effects on VAT are equivocal.

Aim for 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week to reduce visceral fat. You do not necessarily need to lose weight on the scale for this benefit, and doing more than 150 minutes may not provide additional VAT reduction.

Gelesis100, a nonsystemic superabsorbent hydrogel taken orally before meals, produces statistically significant greater weight loss compared to placebo in adults with overweight or obesity.

Take three 2.25g capsules of Gelesis100 with 500ml of water 20-30 minutes before your two main meals. Combine this with a modest caloric deficit (300 kcal/day) and 30 minutes of daily walking. Expect about 6.4% weight loss over 24 weeks, which is statistically better than placebo but requires strict adherence to the timing and hydration instructions.

Postoperative exercise training in adults undergoing bariatric surgery leads to greater weight loss, increased VO2max, and improved muscle strength compared to usual care without exercise.

After bariatric surgery, adding exercise training (3 sessions per week for 3 months) can help you lose more weight, improve your cardiorespiratory fitness, and increase muscle strength. Start with small, manageable sessions and gradually increase intensity and duration.

Sustained 25% caloric restriction for 24 months significantly improves cardiometabolic risk factors (visceral adipose tissue, blood pressure, lipid profile, and 10-year CVD risk) in healthy nonobese individuals, with benefits persisting during weight maintenance.

If you are healthy and not obese, sustaining a moderate caloric deficit (around 25% less than your maintenance needs) for two years can significantly lower your risk of heart disease and improve your metabolic health. This includes reducing dangerous visceral fat, lowering blood pressure, and improving cholesterol levels. These benefits persist even after you stop losing weight, as long as you maintain the lower calorie intake. This suggests that long-term dietary habits, not just short-term weight loss, are key to cardiovascular health, even for those with a normal BMI.

Weight loss of 10% or more is associated with significant improvements in fasting glucose, HDL cholesterol, triglycerides, and metabolic syndrome severity, whereas weight loss less than 5% yields no significant cardiometabolic benefits.

To see significant improvements in your blood sugar, cholesterol, and metabolic health, aim for a weight loss of 10% or more. Losing less than 5% may not provide these specific benefits, although it is still a positive step. Focus on sustainable habits that can help you reach that 10% threshold.

Consuming ≥4 weekly servings of lean beef as part of a high-protein, energy-restricted diet produces equivalent weight loss and cardiometabolic improvements compared to a high-protein diet excluding all red meats.

If you are following a high-protein weight loss plan, you do not need to eliminate lean beef. Eating at least 4 servings of lean beef per week will result in the same weight loss and heart health benefits as avoiding red meat entirely. Focus on the total caloric deficit and protein intake rather than excluding specific protein sources like beef.

Maintaining ≥7% weight loss one year after a 12-week intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) significantly reduces the 10-year incidence of diabetic nephropathy in patients with diabetes.

For patients with diabetes and obesity, aiming for at least 7% weight loss within the first year of a structured lifestyle program is critical. This specific threshold is associated with a significantly lower risk of developing kidney disease (nephropathy) over the next decade. Focus on sustainable dietary and exercise changes to achieve this initial loss, as maintaining it provides long-term organ protection.

Maintaining ≥ 7% weight loss at 1 year following a 12-week intensive lifestyle intervention (ILI) in patients with diabetes and obesity predicts sustained cardiometabolic improvements, including lower A1C and better lipid profiles, over 15 years.

For patients with diabetes and obesity, completing a structured lifestyle program and maintaining at least 7% of their body weight loss after one year is a critical milestone. This specific level of sustained weight loss is strongly associated with better long-term blood sugar control (A1C) and lipid profiles over 15 years, even if the initial intensive program ends. Focus on maintaining that initial loss rather than expecting continuous rapid weight loss.

Lifestyle interventions, specifically exercise and caloric restriction, reduce visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and ectopic fat, often independently of total body weight loss.

Aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week. This amount is sufficient to reduce dangerous visceral fat. You don't need to do more than this for VAT reduction, and you don't need to lose weight on the scale to see benefits.

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet is not associated with weight gain and may facilitate weight loss, particularly when energy-restricted, without the deleterious effects of low-fat diets.

You can lose weight on a Mediterranean diet even though it includes healthy fats like olive oil and nuts. Focus on portion control and energy balance. Studies show that MedDiet can lead to greater weight loss than low-fat diets when calories are restricted, and it does not cause weight gain.

Intensive lifestyle intervention in adults with type 2 diabetes and overweight/obesity produces moderate, sustained weight loss and cardiovascular risk factor control, with significant cardiovascular benefits observed specifically in patients achieving >10% weight loss or >2 MET fitness increase in the first year.

For adults with type 2 diabetes, simply 'trying' lifestyle changes may not be enough to protect your heart. You need to aim for a significant result: losing at least 10% of your body weight or significantly increasing your physical fitness (measured in metabolic equivalents) within the first year. If you achieve this threshold, you are much more likely to see a reduction in cardiovascular outcomes compared to those who maintain their weight or fitness levels.

Metabolic surgery (bariatric surgery) is recommended for patients with type 2 diabetes and BMI ≥40 kg/m2, or BMI 35.0-39.9 kg/m2 without durable weight loss, and should be considered for BMI 30.0-34.9 kg/m2 without similar improvements, offering superior glycemic control and cardiovascular risk factor reduction compared to lifestyle/medical interventions.

If you have type 2 diabetes and a BMI of 30 or higher, metabolic surgery is a highly effective option, especially if other weight loss methods have failed. It offers superior glycemic control and significant reductions in cardiovascular risk factors. While there are short-term risks, perioperative mortality is low (0.03-0.20%), and the long-term benefits for health and mortality are substantial.

Regular physical activity of 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity provides 75% of the maximum cardiovascular benefit, with diminishing returns above this threshold.

Aim for 150 minutes of moderate exercise (like brisk walking) or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise (like running) per week. This level of activity provides most of the heart health benefits. You don't need to exercise for hours; consistency is key.

During moderate energy deficit (weight loss), higher protein intakes (approx. 1.6 g/kg/day) preserve muscle mass better than lower protein intakes, although this benefit diminishes in severe energy deficit.

If you are cutting calories to lose fat, make sure you eat about 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight each day. This helps protect your muscle from being broken down for energy. However, if your calorie deficit is extremely severe (more than 40% of your needs), this protection may not be enough, so keep your deficit moderate.

High levels of physical inactivity and consumption of sugary beverages are primary drivers of obesity prevalence in Saudi Arabia, with inactive individuals showing significantly lower risk reduction compared to active males.

Focus on reducing sugary beverage intake and increasing physical activity, even in small amounts, as inactivity is a major driver of obesity in this region.

Antiobesity medications (AOMs) such as semaglutide and tirzepatide significantly reduce energy intake and appetite, necessitating a shift in nutritional focus from caloric restriction alone to ensuring nutrient density and adequate protein intake to prevent lean mass loss and deficiencies.

When starting semaglutide or tirzepatide, your appetite will drop significantly. Do not just eat less; eat smarter. Prioritize protein (aim for 60-75g daily or up to 1.5g per kg of body weight) and nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains. This protects your muscle and ensures you get necessary vitamins despite eating smaller portions.