Browse the evidence

Insulin therapy is the recommended pharmacological intervention for GDM when medical nutrition therapy and physical activity fail to achieve glycemic goals.

If diet and exercise do not control your blood sugar, insulin is the recommended next step. It is safe for the baby and helps prevent complications. Doses are tailored to your specific glucose patterns.

Congenital leptin deficiency causes severe early-onset obesity driven by hyperphagia and impaired satiety, which is reversible with daily recombinant human leptin injections.

If you have a confirmed genetic diagnosis of leptin deficiency, daily leptin injections can normalize your metabolism and stop the intense drive to eat. This is a targeted medical treatment, not a general weight loss strategy.

Adults should perform at least 150–300 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (or 75–150 minutes of vigorous-intensity) to achieve substantial health benefits.

Aim for 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity (like brisk walking) per week. You can split this into 30 minutes, 5 days a week. If you prefer higher intensity, 75 minutes is sufficient. Add muscle-strengthening exercises on 2 or more days a week for extra benefits.

Long-term exercise training (≥1 year) significantly reduces the risk of falls and injurious falls in older adults, with multicomponent training performed 2-3 times per week being the optimal regimen.

For older adults, engaging in moderate-intensity multicomponent exercise (aerobic, strength, and balance) 2-3 times per week for at least a year significantly reduces the risk of falls and injurious falls. This is a safe and effective intervention.

Once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide 2.4 mg, used as an adjunct to behavioral intervention, produces substantial and sustained weight loss (mean -15.2%) and improves cardiometabolic risk factors in adults with obesity or overweight with comorbidities over 104 weeks.

If you have obesity or overweight with a related health issue, adding once-weekly semaglutide 2.4 mg to your diet and exercise plan can help you lose about 15% of your body weight over two years. This is significantly more than diet and exercise alone. Expect some stomach issues like nausea at first, but they usually get better. You need to keep taking the medication to keep the weight off.

Maintaining leanness (low body fatness) and engaging in regular physical activity are recommended strategies to reduce the risk of cancer.

To lower your cancer risk, focus on keeping your body fat at a healthy level and staying physically active. You don't need expensive supplements or extreme diets; consistent movement and maintaining a lean weight are the most powerful steps you can take.

A diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes, and low in processed and red meats, is recommended to reduce cancer risk.

Eat more plants (vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes) and fewer processed and red meats. This dietary pattern is a key strategy for reducing cancer risk.

High dietary salt, low dietary omega-3 fatty acids, and high dietary trans fatty acids are the dietary risks with the largest mortality effects, causing 102,000, 84,000, and 82,000 deaths respectively.

Limit salt, increase omega-3 fatty acids (e.g., from seafood), and avoid trans fats. These three dietary factors are the leading dietary causes of death in the US, responsible for over 260,000 deaths annually.

Tirzepatide, a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist, produces significantly greater reductions in BMI, waist circumference, and body weight compared to GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide, dulaglutide), insulin, and placebo in patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes.

Tirzepatide is a once-weekly injectable medication that activates two gut hormones (GIP and GLP-1) to significantly reduce body weight and waist circumference. Clinical data shows it is more effective than existing GLP-1 drugs (like semaglutide), insulin, and placebo. It is prescribed for adults with obesity or type 2 diabetes, often starting at a low dose (2.5 mg) and increasing to 5, 10, or 15 mg to minimize side effects. Common side effects include nausea and diarrhea, which are usually mild and temporary. It should be used alongside diet and exercise.

Tirzepatide produces substantial, dose-dependent weight loss in non-diabetic adults with obesity, with maximum tolerated doses achieving mean body weight reductions of approximately 20.9% compared to placebo.

If you have obesity and do not have diabetes, tirzepatide is a highly effective pharmacological intervention for weight loss. The medication works by mimicking hormones that regulate appetite and metabolism. Higher doses (up to the maximum tolerated dose) yield greater weight loss, with some patients losing over 20% of their body weight. While gastrointestinal side effects like nausea are common, they do not appear to increase the risk of serious health events compared to a placebo, making it a viable option for chronic weight management.

GLP-1 receptor agonists (liraglutide, semaglutide, tirzepatide) produce significant, clinically meaningful weight loss (7–21%) and improve cardiometabolic markers in adults and adolescents with obesity.

If you have obesity, GLP-1 medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide are currently the most effective pharmacological tools available, producing weight loss comparable to bariatric surgery. They work by mimicking hormones that regulate appetite and digestion. While they require weekly (or daily) injections and can cause temporary gastrointestinal side effects, they also improve blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol. Because obesity is a chronic disease, these medications are intended for long-term use to maintain weight loss, not just short-term fixes.

Discontinuation of GLP-1 receptor agonist therapy leads to substantial weight regain, indicating that obesity requires long-term, possibly lifelong, pharmacological management.

If you stop taking GLP-1 medications like semaglutide, you will likely regain most of the weight you lost. This is because obesity is a chronic condition, and the medication helps manage the underlying hormonal drivers. To keep the weight off, you likely need to stay on the medication long-term, similar to how blood pressure medication is used for hypertension.

Tirzepatide, a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor co-agonist, produces significantly greater reductions in HbA1c and body weight compared to selective GLP-1 receptor agonists (semaglutide) and basal insulin in patients with type 2 diabetes.

If you have Type 2 Diabetes, Tirzepatide offers the highest level of blood sugar and weight loss control currently available in injectable medications, surpassing other popular GLP-1 drugs. It works by mimicking two natural gut hormones. The key to success is starting with a very low dose and increasing it slowly every few weeks to minimize stomach upset, which is the main reason people stop taking these drugs.

Adhering to national dietary guidelines using minimally processed foods (MPF) results in significantly greater weight loss and fat mass reduction compared to adhering to the same guidelines using ultraprocessed foods (UPF), primarily driven by lower energy intake.

If you want to lose weight, follow your country's official healthy eating guidelines. Doing so with minimally processed foods (like whole grains, fresh fruits, and vegetables) will help you lose more weight than doing so with ultraprocessed foods (like reformulated cereals and ready meals). However, even if you eat ultraprocessed foods, as long as they meet national nutritional standards (low sugar, salt, and fat, high fiber), you can still lose weight. The key is that minimally processed foods help you eat fewer calories naturally, likely because they are less energy-dense and take longer to eat.

Tirzepatide and semaglutide are the only obesity management medications (OMMs) achieving greater than 10% total body weight loss (TBWL) at study endpoints, with tirzepatide uniquely associated with a significantly higher proportion of patients achieving ≥25% TBWL.

If you are seeking significant, clinically meaningful weight loss (over 10% of body weight), current evidence strongly supports using tirzepatide or semaglutide over older oral medications. Tirzepatide shows the highest efficacy, with a unique ability to help a larger proportion of patients lose 25% or more of their body weight. Be aware that these are long-term treatments; stopping them typically leads to regaining most of the lost weight, so they should be viewed as ongoing management for obesity, not a short-term fix.

Once-weekly subcutaneous 2.4 mg semaglutide induces clinically meaningful, sustained double-digit weight loss (average ~15-16%) in adults with obesity or overweight, significantly outperforming previous pharmacotherapies and approaching results of metabolic surgery.

For adults with obesity or overweight plus a comorbidity, once-weekly 2.4 mg semaglutide is a highly effective treatment that produces an average 15-16% weight loss, which is significantly better than previous drugs and lifestyle changes alone. It requires a weekly injection, titrated up over 4 months to minimize side effects, alongside a modest calorie deficit and exercise. While GI side effects are common, they are usually manageable.

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and sleeve gastrectomy (SG) are more effective than adjustable gastric banding (AGB) for weight loss and quality of life in severe obesity, with RYGB providing superior weight loss compared to SG.

If you have severe obesity and are considering surgery, Roux-en-Y gastric bypass offers the best chance for significant, lasting weight loss and improved quality of life. Sleeve gastrectomy is a good alternative if bypass is not possible, but expect less weight loss. Adjustable gastric banding is not recommended as it is significantly less effective. Discuss these options with a specialist bariatric team to determine the best fit for your health profile.

Tirzepatide induces significant, dose-dependent weight loss in patients with obesity or type 2 diabetes, with non-diabetic individuals experiencing greater absolute weight reduction than diabetic individuals at equivalent doses.

Tirzepatide is a highly effective treatment for weight loss, with higher doses (15 mg) producing the greatest results. Non-diabetic patients tend to lose more weight than diabetic patients at the same dose. The most common barrier is gastrointestinal side effects like nausea, which are dose-dependent but typically manageable and do not lead to serious health risks.

Tirzepatide increases the likelihood of achieving clinically meaningful weight loss thresholds (≥5%, ≥10%, ≥15%) in a dose-dependent manner, with 15 mg showing the highest odds ratios for all thresholds.

Higher doses of tirzepatide significantly increase your chances of losing 5%, 10%, or 15% of your body weight. The 15 mg dose offers the highest probability of achieving these milestones compared to lower doses.

Semaglutide (2.4 mg weekly) produces significantly greater weight loss than liraglutide (3.0 mg daily), orlistat, and phentermine in obese individuals.

If you have obesity or overweight with related health risks, Semaglutide (2.4 mg weekly) is currently the most effective pharmacological option for weight loss, significantly outperforming Liraglutide, Orlistat, and Phentermine. You must start at a low dose (0.25 mg) and increase it every 4 weeks to minimize stomach side effects. This medication works best when combined with diet and exercise changes.

Once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide at 2.4 mg is effective and safe for weight loss in non-diabetic adults and adolescents with overweight or obesity, demonstrating superiority over both placebo and daily liraglutide.

For non-diabetic adults and adolescents with obesity, once-weekly subcutaneous semaglutide (2.4 mg) combined with lifestyle changes is a highly effective treatment for significant weight loss. It is superior to placebo and daily liraglutide. While gastrointestinal side effects like nausea are common, they often subside over time. This treatment is FDA-approved and supported by robust clinical trials.

Tirzepatide, a dual GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist, produces significant, dose-dependent weight loss and HbA1c reduction in overweight and obese adults with type 2 diabetes, with efficacy increasing at doses of 5mg, 10mg, and 15mg administered once weekly.

If you have type 2 diabetes and are overweight or obese, Tirzepatide is a highly effective, once-weekly injection that helps you lose significant weight and lower your blood sugar. The higher the dose (up to 15mg), the more weight you tend to lose. While you might experience side effects like nausea or diarrhea, especially at higher doses, most people get used to it. It is more effective than many existing obesity medications.

Tirzepatide administration significantly reduces body weight in overweight and obese individuals (BMI ≥28 kg/m²) compared to control, with the magnitude of weight loss being dose-dependent.

If you have a BMI of 28 or higher, Tirzepatide is a clinically proven option for significant weight loss. It works by mimicking hormones that regulate blood sugar and appetite. You take it as a once-weekly injection, starting at a low dose (2.5mg) and increasing to 5mg, 10mg, or 15mg depending on your response. Expect some gastrointestinal side effects like nausea or diarrhea, especially at higher doses, but most people tolerate it well. The higher the dose, the more weight you tend to lose.

Tirzepatide significantly reduces HbA1c levels in individuals with Type 2 Diabetes, with the effect being dose-dependent.

For those managing Type 2 Diabetes, Tirzepatide offers a powerful tool to lower blood sugar levels (HbA1c). It works by helping your pancreas release insulin when needed and stopping the liver from making too much sugar. Like with weight loss, higher doses lead to greater HbA1c reductions. This makes it a viable option for patients who need better glycemic control alongside weight management.