Browse the evidence

Successful long-term weight loss maintenance (defined as losing ≥10% of body weight and keeping it off for ≥1 year) is strongly associated with high levels of regular physical activity (approx. 1 hour/day or 2500-3000 kcal/week expenditure), low-fat diet (approx. 24% of calories from fat), and frequent self-monitoring of weight and food intake.

To maintain weight loss, you must adopt three specific behaviors: eat a low-fat diet (around 24% of calories from fat), monitor your weight and food intake frequently (weighing yourself daily or weekly), and engage in high levels of physical activity (approx. 1 hour of moderate activity like brisk walking daily). These are the common traits of successful long-term maintainers.

High intake of red and processed meats is positively associated with an increased risk of colon cancer in women, whereas high fiber intake is associated with a decreased risk.

To lower your risk of colon cancer, limit your consumption of red and processed meats (like beef, pork, bacon, and sausage) and increase your intake of dietary fiber from vegetables, fruits, and whole grains. This study suggests that the type of food matters significantly for long-term gut health.

Intentional weight loss of 5-10% or more in overweight individuals significantly improves physiological markers (blood pressure, lipids, glucose) and reduces the incidence of type 2 diabetes and hypertension.

If you are overweight, aim to lose 5-10% of your body weight. This modest loss significantly improves blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. Even preventing further gain is a critical health step.

Ingestion of whey protein hydrolysate stimulates mixed muscle protein synthesis (MPS) to a significantly greater degree than micellar casein or soy protein isolate in young men, both at rest and following resistance exercise.

If you are looking to maximize muscle growth after resistance training, choose whey protein hydrolysate over casein or soy. The study shows whey stimulates muscle protein synthesis significantly more (up to 122% more than casein) because it digests faster and provides a quicker spike in leucine, which triggers muscle building. Ensure you consume about 20-25g of whey protein (providing ~10g of essential amino acids) immediately after your workout.

Adding protein (>=20g) to suboptimal carbohydrate intake (less than 1.2 g/kg/h) enhances muscle glycogen storage rates during recovery.

If you can't eat enough carbs after a workout (less than 1.2g per kg of body weight), add 20 grams of protein to your recovery meal. This helps your muscles store glycogen faster than carbs alone would.

Accumulating energy expenditure through moderate-intensity walking reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes in women to a magnitude comparable to vigorous physical activity, provided the total energy expenditure is equivalent.

You do not need to run or lift heavy weights to prevent type 2 diabetes. Simply walking briskly (faster than 4.8 km/h) for sufficient duration to burn energy is just as effective as vigorous exercise. Focus on accumulating these minutes weekly rather than intensity. If you cannot do vigorous activity, walking is a highly recommended, safe, and effective alternative.

Increasing walking pace (from casual to brisk/striding) independently reduces type 2 diabetes risk, even when the total time spent walking is held constant.

When you walk, try to walk faster. A 'brisk' pace (faster than 4.8 km/h or roughly 3 mph) offers significantly greater protection against diabetes than a casual stroll, even if you walk for the same amount of time. Aim for a pace where you can talk but not sing.

High adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern, quantified by the Alternate Mediterranean Diet Score (aMed), is associated with a significantly lower risk of incident coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke in women.

To lower your risk of heart disease and stroke, aim for a dietary pattern rich in plant foods, healthy fats (like olive oil), and fish, while limiting red meat and sweets. Consistency over many years is key, as this study tracked adherence over two decades.

Intentional weight loss of approximately 7% of initial body weight combined with moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (175 min/week) improves glycemic control, blood pressure, and lipid profiles in overweight individuals with type 2 diabetes.

To improve your diabetes and heart health, aim to lose about 7% of your starting weight and walk briskly for 175 minutes a week. Start with meal replacements for two meals a day to help you hit your calorie goals, then transition to portion-controlled regular foods. Focus on consistency and behavioral habits rather than rapid scale changes, as sustainable loss is more beneficial than quick, regained weight.

The use of liquid meal replacements (shakes and bars) for two meals and one snack daily significantly increases weight loss compared to conventional isocaloric diets in individuals with type 2 diabetes.

Use liquid meal replacements for two meals and one snack daily to simplify your diet and ensure you hit your calorie goals. This structure helps prevent the common mistake of underestimating calories in regular food. Choose products approved for diabetes management if available. After 6 months, you can transition to using these only for one meal or snack as needed to maintain weight.

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes and improves glycaemic control in patients with existing type 2 diabetes.

If you have type 2 diabetes or are at risk, adopting a Mediterranean diet can help lower your risk of developing the disease and improve blood sugar control if you already have it. Focus on whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and olive oil, while limiting red meat and sweets. This approach has been shown to be more effective than low-fat diets for glycaemic management.

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.

High protein diets increase dietary thermogenesis (energy expenditure) compared to lower protein diets, with protein exerting a thermic effect of 20-35% of energy consumed versus 5-15% for carbohydrates.

If you increase your protein intake, your body will burn slightly more calories through digestion and metabolism compared to eating the same amount of carbs or fat. While this isn't a magic weight-loss bullet, it is a real metabolic advantage that supports weight management efforts.

High protein meals increase subjective satiety and reduce subsequent energy intake compared to lower protein meals, particularly in the short term.

Eating more protein at your meals can help you feel fuller for longer and naturally eat less later in the day. This is one of the most effective ways to manage hunger without strict calorie counting.

Modest lifestyle modifications (diet, physical activity, weight loss, smoking cessation) have the greatest impact on reversing obesity and its metabolic consequences compared to pharmacologic interventions.

Prioritize modest, sustainable lifestyle changes over medication. Focus on reducing caloric intake, increasing physical activity, and quitting smoking. These changes address the root cause and have the greatest health impact.

Adherence to behavioral modifications (smoking cessation, diet, and exercise) within 30 days after an acute coronary syndrome significantly reduces the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events (MI, stroke, death) within 6 months, with benefits being additive across multiple behaviors.

If you have recently had a heart attack or unstable angina, quitting smoking, eating healthier, and exercising regularly can significantly reduce your risk of another heart attack, stroke, or death within the next 6 months. These lifestyle changes are just as important as your medications and should be started immediately. Even small improvements in these areas can add up to protect your heart.

Strength training effectively counteracts age-related sarcopenia and loss of neuromuscular function by inducing muscle hypertrophy and improving neural drive, even in individuals over 80 years old.

Start or continue strength training regardless of age. It improves muscle mass, strength, and power, helping you maintain independence and functional ability, even if you are over 80.

Aging leads to a loss of spinal motor neurons and muscle fibers, resulting in sarcopenia and reduced functional capacity, which strength training can partially compensate for.

Understand that muscle loss with age is partly due to nerve loss. Regular strength training can help maintain muscle and function.

High-intensity resistance training using a gravity-independent flywheel ergometer induces significant skeletal muscle hypertrophy (cross-sectional area increase) within 20 days, with architectural remodeling (fascicle length increase) beginning as early as 10 days.

If you are new to resistance training or returning after a break, expect your muscles to start growing structurally within the first 3 weeks, even if you don't see it in the mirror yet. Use high-intensity resistance training (like flywheel or heavy weights) 3 times a week. Focus on maximal effort during both the lifting and lowering phases to maximize the stimulus for early growth.

Resistance training using light loads (30% 1RM) performed to momentary failure produces equivalent muscle hypertrophy to heavy loads (80% 1RM) in young men.

You do not need to lift heavy weights to build muscle. If you use a lighter weight (around 30% of your max), you must perform enough reps to reach momentary failure (where you cannot complete another rep with good form). Doing this 3 times a week for 10 weeks will build muscle just as effectively as lifting heavy weights. However, note that lifting heavy weights is still better for maximizing raw strength numbers.

Consuming 10 g/day more of total dietary fiber is associated with a 14% lower risk of coronary heart disease events and a 27% lower risk of coronary death.

To lower your risk of heart disease, aim to increase your daily dietary fiber intake by about 10 grams. Focus specifically on fiber from cereals (grains) and fruits, as these sources showed the strongest protective effects. Vegetable fiber did not show the same benefit, possibly because starchy vegetables like corn and peas have a high glycemic load that might counteract the fiber's benefits. Simply adding more whole grains and fruits to your diet is a practical step supported by this large-scale analysis.

Ingestion of 40g of essential amino acids (EAA) or mixed amino acids (MAA) immediately after resistance exercise shifts net muscle protein balance from negative (degradation) to positive (synthesis).

After your resistance training session, consume 40 grams of essential amino acids (or mixed amino acids). This will shift your muscles from breaking down protein to building it. You do not need to include non-essential amino acids in your supplement; essential amino acids alone are sufficient to maximize this post-workout anabolic response.

Structured exercise combined with dietary support and behavior therapy is an effective intervention for managing obesity in cancer survivors, while GLP-1 analogues and bariatric surgery offer rapid weight loss for selected cases.

Cancer survivors with obesity should prioritize structured exercise, dietary changes, and behavior therapy as the primary management strategy. For those needing more rapid weight loss, GLP-1 analogues or bariatric surgery may be considered, but lifestyle changes remain the foundation of care.

Multicomponent interventions in schools and workplaces, combining education, policy, and environmental changes, are effective in improving diet and physical activity.

Advocate for comprehensive school wellness policies that include PE, healthy food options, and education. These are proven to work better than single-component programs.