Browse the evidence

Combined diet and exercise lifestyle interventions are more effective for weight loss than interventions containing only diet or only exercise components in adults with severe obesity.

If you have severe obesity, adding exercise to your diet changes will help you lose more weight than dieting alone. Look for programs that teach you how to eat better AND move more, as this combination works best.

A continuous care model combining nutritional ketosis (<30g carbohydrates/day) with remote biometric monitoring and medication management significantly improves glycemic control, reduces body weight, and allows for the reduction or elimination of type 2 diabetes medications in adults with T2D over a 1-year period.

To manage Type 2 Diabetes effectively, consider a structured low-carbohydrate approach (under 30g carbs/day) combined with regular monitoring of blood glucose and ketones. Work with a healthcare provider to safely adjust diabetes medications as your numbers improve. Focus on eating enough protein and healthy fats to feel satisfied, and ensure you are getting essential nutrients through supplementation if needed. This approach has been shown to improve blood sugar control, promote weight loss, and reduce the need for diabetes medications over time.

Advanced training techniques such as supersets, drop sets, and rest-pause training can roughly halve training time compared to traditional training while maintaining volume and inducing similar hypertrophy.

If you are short on time, try pairing exercises (supersets) or reducing rest periods. This can cut your workout time in half while still building muscle, though it may be less effective for pure strength gains.

Resistance training to momentary muscular failure using lighter loads (30% 1RM) maintains muscle hypertrophy and size comparably to heavy loads (80-90% 1RM) during periods of restricted training.

If you only have light weights, lift them until you physically cannot complete another repetition. This maintains muscle size as effectively as heavy weights, though maximum strength gains may be slightly lower.

Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with a two-fold increased likelihood of maintaining weight loss after an initial reduction of 10% or more.

To maintain weight loss, adopt a Mediterranean-style eating pattern. Prioritize plant foods (fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains), use olive oil as your main fat source, and include moderate amounts of fish and dairy. Limit red meat and sweets. This pattern is associated with double the odds of keeping weight off compared to less adherent diets.

A 12-week periodic ketogenic diet (30-50g carbs, 130g fat, 60g protein, ~1500 kcal) significantly improves body weight, BMI, waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, fasting insulin, HbA1c, and lipid profiles (TG, TC, LDL) in newly diagnosed overweight/obese T2DM patients compared to routine diabetes diet.

If you are newly diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and overweight, a 12-week ketogenic diet (approx. 1500 calories, very low carb) can significantly improve your weight, blood sugar, and cholesterol better than standard diabetes advice. However, it is difficult to sustain long-term due to taste and adherence issues. It serves as an effective short-term intervention to reduce medication needs and improve metabolic health.

Very Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diets (VLCKD) and Protein-Sparing Modified Fasting (PSMF) produce rapid, significant weight loss and preserve lean mass in obese patients, but require strict medical supervision due to risks of gallbladder issues and electrolyte imbalance.

If you have severe obesity and comorbidities, VLCKD or PSMF can help you lose weight faster than standard diets while preserving muscle. However, these are not DIY diets; they require strict medical supervision, supplementation, and monitoring to avoid side effects like gallstones or electrolyte imbalances.

An 8-week nurse-led structured lifestyle modification program significantly improves anthropometric, metabolic, and cardiovascular risk factors in severely obese adults without requiring bariatric surgery.

If you are severely obese, a structured 8-week program combining exercise, dietary education, and counseling can significantly improve your health markers like weight, blood pressure, and cholesterol, even without surgery. The key is consistency and individualized goal setting.

Soy protein supplementation produces identical increases in lean mass compared to whey protein in active individuals and athletes, making it an effective alternative for muscle growth.

If you are an athlete or active individual looking to build muscle, soy protein is just as effective as whey protein. You do not need to avoid soy for muscle gains. Ensure you are consuming enough total protein (at least 1.6 g/kg/day) and that your soy protein source is of high quality (high digestibility).

Lifestyle interventions, specifically combining dietary changes (low-calorie, low-fat, low-carbohydrate, high-protein, or low-glycemic-index diets) with exercise, are the first-line and fundamental treatment for obesity.

Start with lifestyle changes as your primary tool. Combine a calorie-controlled diet (whether low-fat, low-carb, or high-protein) with regular exercise (aim for 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous activity per week, plus strength training twice a week). This combination is more effective than diet or exercise alone. Save medications and surgery for cases where lifestyle changes are insufficient or for severe obesity.

Maintaining or increasing resistance training volume (≥10 weekly sets per muscle group) during caloric restriction spares lean mass in resistance-trained athletes, particularly females, whereas reducing volume leads to greater lean mass loss.

If you are cutting weight, do not drop your training volume. Aim for at least 10 sets per muscle group per week. If you can, try to increase volume over time. This is especially important for female athletes to prevent muscle loss.

Strength training improves critical stroke recovery outcomes including walking capacity, balance, functional mobility, and walking speed.

For stroke survivors, strength training is a critical component of recovery that goes beyond just building muscle. It significantly improves your ability to walk, balance, and perform daily tasks. Work with a physical therapist to find a safe program that fits your current ability level.

For long-term weight maintenance, a personalized energy intake calculated as 10% below Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR) multiplied by Physical Activity Level (PAL) is used, combined with either a low-carb (30% carb) or low-fat (25% fat) diet.

Maintain your weight by eating slightly less than your body burns at rest (minus 10%). You can choose a low-carb approach (30% carbs) or a low-fat approach (25% fat). Use digital tools or newsletters for ongoing support to stay on track for 12 months.

An 8-week combined intervention of Baduanjin (moderate-intensity mind-body exercise) and a low-carbohydrate diet (70-130g carbs/day) significantly reduces body weight, BMI, waist circumference, and body fat percentage in overweight individuals with drug addiction compared to general physical activity alone.

For overweight individuals in recovery, combining a structured, moderate-intensity mind-body exercise like Baduanjin (approx. 60 mins, 5x/week) with a low-carbohydrate diet (70-130g carbs daily) for 8 weeks can significantly reduce body weight and fat. Light activity alone is likely insufficient for weight loss in this demographic.

An 8-week combined functional strength and balance training program with nutrition education significantly improves grip strength, sit-to-stand functioning, and dynamic balance in older adults with pre-frailty and frailty.

If you are an older adult feeling frail, start with a structured program that focuses on functional movements like squats and stepping, performed twice a week. Focus on form first, then gradually increase difficulty. Combine this with eating more protein (aiming for 1.2g per kg of body weight) spread across your meals, using affordable sources like dairy, eggs, or beans. This approach improves your strength, balance, and ability to perform daily tasks without needing expensive equipment.

A 12-week telehealth-delivered home resistance training program combined with dietary advice to increase plant-based protein intake (target 1.2–1.5 g/kg/d) is safe and feasible for adults with NAFLD, resulting in significant improvements in physical function (sit-to-stand performance) and total protein intake compared to usual care, despite modest adherence rates.

If you have NAFLD, a home-based resistance training program delivered via telehealth, combined with advice to eat more plant-based protein (aiming for 1.2-1.5g per kg of body weight), is a safe and effective way to improve your physical function and protein intake. You should perform 6-8 exercises, 2 sets of 10 reps, 3 times a week at a moderate effort level. While sticking to this routine can be challenging, the intervention is feasible and improves strength.

Ballistic movements should be included in home-based training to maintain or develop muscle power, regardless of whether external loads are used.

To keep your explosive power, include movements where you move quickly through the exercise (ballistic), even if you use light weights, bands, or just your body weight. This helps maintain the speed component of fitness.

For patients with Type 2 Diabetes and BMI ≥ 35 kg/m2, multidisciplinary weight management services or bariatric surgery result in superior glycaemic control and medication reduction compared to standard specialist diabetes clinic care.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes and a BMI over 35, standard diabetes care often fails to control your blood sugar or weight. You should ask for a referral to a specialized multidisciplinary weight management clinic or discuss bariatric surgery. These interventions are proven to lower HbA1c and reduce the need for diabetes medications more effectively than standard care alone.

A commercial weight-loss program utilizing portion-controlled meal replacements (MRs) combined with one-on-one behavioral support produces therapeutic weight loss (≥5% baseline) and improves cardiometabolic risk factors in adults with type 2 diabetes or high blood sugar (D/HBS) to a degree equivalent to those without these conditions.

If you have diabetes or high blood sugar, a structured program using meal replacements and weekly counseling can help you lose weight just as effectively as it does for people without diabetes. Focus on the 800-1500 calorie meal plans provided, which include enough protein to protect your muscle, and attend your weekly counseling sessions to stay on track. You can expect to lose around 14% of your body weight over 24 weeks, which is a therapeutic amount that improves heart health markers.

A structured, virtual, community-based lifestyle intervention using meal replacements and behavioral support achieves weight loss (14-16%) and type 2 diabetes remission (43%) comparable to GLP-1 receptor agonist therapies.

To achieve significant weight loss and potentially reverse type 2 diabetes, consider a structured program that combines a temporary period of meal replacements with long-term behavioral support. Look for programs that offer frequent check-ins, community support, and a clear plan for transitioning back to regular food. This approach can be as effective as newer weight-loss drugs for many people, especially when sustained over 18 months.

A 12-week comprehensive obesity management program combining nutritional education, personalized coaching, and plant-derived food supplements (PDFS) significantly reduces body weight, fat mass, and abdominal circumference in obese subjects compared to a control group receiving only medical observation.

To lose weight effectively, combine a structured, low-calorie diet with regular professional coaching and specific plant-based supplements over 12 weeks. This holistic approach addresses not just calories but also behavior and metabolic markers, leading to significant fat loss and improved health metrics compared to self-managed or medical-observation-only approaches.

Adherence to the DASH dietary pattern significantly reduces the incidence of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes in prospective cohort studies, and improves cardiometabolic risk factors (blood pressure, lipids, HbA1c, body weight) in controlled trials.

Adopt the DASH dietary pattern by prioritizing fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat dairy while limiting saturated fats, red meat, and added sugars. This approach is strongly associated with lower risks of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes, as well as improved blood pressure and weight management.

A multidisciplinary Tier 3 weight management service delivered in primary care achieves clinically significant weight loss (mean 10.2 kg in completers) and improves comorbidities for adults with morbid obesity (BMI ≥40 or ≥30 with comorbidities).

If you have a BMI over 40, or over 30 with health issues like diabetes or high blood pressure, seek a specialized primary care weight management service. Look for a program that includes a doctor, dietitian, and psychologist working together. They will create a personalized plan with a modest calorie deficit (around 600 kcal/day) and monthly check-ins. This approach is designed to handle complex health issues safely and effectively within your local community.

A combined intervention of progressive balance and functional strength training (2x/week for 8 weeks) paired with nutrition education targeting 1.2 g protein/kg/day is feasible and safe for pre-frail older adults, achieving high adherence (72%) without significant adverse events.

If you are over 60 and feeling 'pre-frail' (tired, struggling with stairs, etc.), start with a supervised strength program twice a week. Focus on learning the movements correctly before adding weight. Aim to eat about 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight each day, spread across meals. This combination is safe, feasible, and helps maintain your ability to function independently.