Browse the evidence

Sedentary behavior is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality, regardless of exercise levels.

Try to avoid sitting for more than 90 minutes at a time. Stand up and move regularly, even if you exercise.

Frequent home cooking (≥7 dinners/week) is associated with higher overall diet quality (HEI-2015) compared to infrequent cooking (0-2 dinners/week), with the magnitude of benefit being significantly stronger in higher-income adults than in lower-income adults.

Cooking dinner at home more often, specifically aiming for 7 times a week, is linked to better diet quality. However, if you have a lower income, simply cooking more often may not significantly improve your diet quality unless you also have access to affordable, healthy ingredients. Focus on accessible healthy options like frozen vegetables to bridge the gap between cost and nutrition.

Daily breakfast consumption (7 days/week) is associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing abdominal obesity, obesity, metabolic syndrome, and hypertension compared to infrequent consumption (0-3 days/week), independent of baseline adiposity and overall dietary quality.

If you want to lower your risk of obesity, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome, try eating breakfast every day. You don't need to eat a specific 'perfect' breakfast; the study suggests the frequency of eating it matters more than the specific quality of the diet. Start with small, simple breakfasts if you are not used to eating in the morning, and aim for 7 days a week to see the long-term benefits.

Engaging in higher levels of physical activity (≥90 minutes/day) is associated with a statistically significant reduction in the risk of incident clinical depression in older women compared to low activity levels (<10 minutes/day).

To lower your risk of clinical depression, aim for at least 90 minutes of physical activity per day. This doesn't require intense gym workouts; walking, jogging, or gardening all count. The study shows that combining this activity with limiting television watching (to under 5 hours a week) provides the strongest protection. Start with walking, as it is the most common and accessible form of activity for older women.

The combination of high physical activity (≥90 minutes/day) and low television watching (0-5 hours/week) results in the strongest reduction in clinical depression risk compared to the combination of low activity and high TV watching.

For the best protection against depression, aim for 90 minutes of daily physical activity and limit television watching to 5 hours or less per week. This combination offers the strongest benefit, reducing risk by 38% compared to those with low activity and high TV time. Start by adding 30 minutes of walking to your day and tracking your TV time to see if you can reduce it.

Tirzepatide, a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist, significantly reduces body weight (exceeding 20% in some contexts) and improves glycemic control (HbA1c) in patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity when administered via subcutaneous injection once weekly.

Tirzepatide is a once-weekly subcutaneous injection approved for Type 2 Diabetes and Obesity. It works by mimicking two gut hormones (GLP-1 and GIP) to improve insulin sensitivity and reduce appetite. Clinical trials show it leads to significant weight loss (often >20%) and better blood sugar control than some existing drugs like semaglutide. Common side effects like nausea are usually temporary and managed by starting with a low dose and increasing slowly. It is not a standalone cure but works best with lifestyle changes.

Substituting 60 minutes of television watching with 60 minutes of brisk or very brisk walking significantly reduces the risk of incident depression in older women, whereas substituting with slow or average-paced walking does not.

If you want to reduce your risk of depression by swapping TV time for exercise, make sure you walk briskly. Simply replacing TV with slow walking does not significantly lower depression risk in this population. Aim for a pace of 3-3.9 miles per hour (brisk) for 60 minutes to see a 15% reduction in risk.

Resistance training and high protein intake (≥25% of calories) are recommended to preserve lean body mass and increase satiety/thermogenesis during energy restriction, respectively.

To keep your muscle while losing fat, lift weights regularly and eat enough protein. Aim for protein to make up at least 25% of your daily calories. This helps you stay full and protects your muscle mass.

Adherence to Mediterranean and high-quality dietary patterns significantly reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke, whereas low-salt and low-total-fat diets do not show significant preventive benefits in randomized controlled trials.

Adopt a Mediterranean-style or high-quality dietary pattern to significantly lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. This involves eating more vegetables, fruits, nuts, legumes, and healthy fats (like olive oil), while minimizing processed foods and trans fats. Do not rely solely on low-salt or low-fat diets, as evidence does not support them as effective standalone preventive measures.

Using taste-focused labels (emphasizing specific flavors and positive experiences) on vegetable dishes significantly increases vegetable selection and consumption compared to health-focused or basic labels.

When labeling healthy food, especially vegetables, describe the specific flavors, ingredients, and preparation methods (e.g., 'Roasted Garlic Broccoli') rather than just listing health benefits (e.g., 'High in Vitamin C'). This approach leverages the natural human preference for taste, making healthy choices more appealing and increasing the likelihood that people will select and consume them.

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, obesity, and cardiovascular disease.

Stop drinking sugar-sweetened beverages. They are a major source of added sugar and increase your risk for heart disease and diabetes. Replace them with water, unsweetened tea, or sparkling water. If you need a sweet taste, low-calorie sweetened beverages are a better option than soda, but water is best.

Older adults require a per-meal protein dose of approximately 0.4 g/kg (or ≥30g of high-quality protein) to maximally stimulate muscle protein synthesis, which is higher than the threshold for younger adults.

If you are over 60, aim for at least 30 grams of high-quality protein (like meat, eggs, or whey) at every main meal. This specific amount is required to trigger maximum muscle building signals, which your body needs more of as you age compared to when you were younger.

Distributing protein intake evenly across meals (reaching the per-meal threshold) is more effective for muscle mass and function than skewing intake toward a single large meal, provided total daily protein is adequate.

Try to eat a similar amount of protein at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Most older adults eat too little in the morning and too much at night. Spreading it out helps your body build and maintain muscle better than eating it all at once.

Supplemental protein intake of approximately 5 g/day significantly increases lean body mass, with a plateau in gains between 5-50 g/day and a linear increase in muscle mass for intakes exceeding 50 g/day.

To increase muscle mass, adding just ~5 grams of protein daily (e.g., one egg or a cup of milk) can be effective, even without exercise. If you are engaging in resistance training or seeking maximal hypertrophy, increasing supplemental protein beyond 50 grams per day may continue to drive linear increases in lean body mass. This applies to diverse populations, including the elderly and those without serious illness.

Substituting saturated fats and trans fats with unsaturated fats (MUFA and PUFA) reduces total mortality, whereas substituting carbohydrates with saturated or trans fats increases mortality.

Focus on the quality of your macronutrients. Replace saturated and trans fats with unsaturated fats (nuts, olive oil, fish). Avoid replacing carbohydrates with animal fats; instead, choose unsaturated fats or plant-based proteins if reducing carbs.

Performing low-load resistance training (30% 1RM) three times per week during a period of reduced physical activity (step-reduction) prevents muscle mass loss and maintains muscle protein synthesis rates in older men.

If you are older and your daily activity drops significantly (e.g., due to illness or injury), perform light resistance exercises (using about 30% of your maximum lifting capacity) three times a week. This simple routine can help preserve your muscle mass and strength, even if you are not walking as much as usual. You do not need to lift heavy weights to get this benefit.

Combining a five-ingredient nutritional supplement (whey, casein, creatine, vitamin D, omega-3) with home-based resistance exercise significantly improves lean mass, strength, and muscle quality in free-living elderly men compared to exercise with a placebo.

For elderly men looking to maintain or build muscle, combining daily intake of a specific multi-ingredient supplement (containing protein, creatine, vitamin D, and omega-3s) with home-based resistance band training (3 days a week) is an effective strategy. This approach improves lean mass, strength, and physical function, particularly for those who are sedentary or have sarcopenia. The key is consistency in both supplementation and progressive resistance exercise.

A multicomponent worksite lifestyle intervention combining a reduced-energy, low-glycemic load, high-fiber diet with behavioral education significantly reduces body weight and improves cardiometabolic risk factors in overweight and obese employees.

To lose weight effectively in a work environment, join a structured program that focuses on both what you eat and how you behave. Look for programs that offer low-glycemic, high-fiber meal guidance and regular group support sessions. The key is consistency through social accountability and clear dietary targets rather than just willpower.

A structured 6-month weight maintenance program following a successful weight loss intervention prevents significant weight regain in worksite participants.

After losing weight, don't assume you're 'cured.' Transition to a maintenance phase with less frequent check-ins (e.g., monthly). This helps you solidify habits without the burden of weekly sessions, preventing the common trap of weight regain.

A caloric deficit of 500–750 kcal/day is the primary driver of weight loss in patients with diabetes, whereas exercise alone is insufficient for initial loss but critical for maintenance.

To lose weight, you must eat less. Focus on creating a daily calorie deficit of 500-750 calories. Do not rely on exercise alone to drop the weight initially, as diet is far more effective for that. Once you have lost the weight, use exercise (150 minutes of moderate activity and resistance training twice a week) to keep it off. If you take insulin, check your blood sugar often when you start eating less to avoid dangerous lows.

GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors are preferred glucose-lowering medications for obese diabetic patients because they promote weight loss (5.3 kg and 2.4 kg respectively), whereas sulfonylureas, TZDs, and insulin promote weight gain.

If you are taking diabetes medication and struggling with weight, ask your doctor about switching to GLP-1 agonists (like semaglutide or liraglutide) or SGLT2 inhibitors (like empagliflozin), which help you lose weight. Avoid medications like insulin, sulfonylureas, or TZDs if possible, as they tend to cause weight gain.

Individualized medical nutrition therapy (MNT) by a registered dietitian reduces hemoglobin A1c by 1-2% in type 2 diabetes, with the greatest benefit seen in newly diagnosed patients.

Work with a registered dietitian to create a personalized eating plan rather than following a generic 'diabetes diet.' Focus on nutrient-dense foods, portion control, and matching your food intake to your medication (if on insulin). Consistency and professional support are more important than adhering to a specific macronutrient ratio.

Avoidance of sugar-sweetened beverages reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improves cardiometabolic risk profiles.

Stop drinking sugary beverages like soda, fruit drinks, and energy drinks. This is a key step to prevent weight gain and reduce your risk of type 2 diabetes. Choose water, unsweetened tea, or coffee instead.

Whey protein supplementation (35g) combined with resistance training increases skeletal muscle mass, muscular strength, and functional capacity in pre-conditioned older women, regardless of whether the protein is consumed immediately before or immediately after the training session.

If you are an older woman doing resistance training, adding 35 grams of whey protein on your training days will help you build muscle and strength. It does not matter if you drink it before or after your workout; just ensure you are getting it on the days you exercise. This strategy helps combat age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) and improves daily functional ability.