Browse the evidence

Structured calorie-restricted diets (800-1,800 kcal) can induce diabetes remission in obese Korean adults with early-onset Type 2 Diabetes, with remission rates up to 75%.

If you have recently been diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and are obese, a structured diet starting at 800 calories and moving to 1,200-1,800 calories can potentially put your diabetes into remission, especially if you stop other medications under doctor supervision.

A 12-month digital weight management program integrating tirzepatide with behavioral coaching achieves clinically meaningful weight loss (mean 22.7%) and significant improvements in binge eating and depressive symptoms.

If you have obesity and are considering medication, a structured program that combines tirzepatide with digital coaching and support can lead to significant weight loss (over 22% on average) and improvements in mental health and binge eating. Expect some initial side effects like nausea, but these often subside, and clinical support is available to help you manage them.

Both volumetric dieting (energy density ≤ 1.5 kcal/g) and time-restricted eating (8-hour window) produce equivalent reductions in body weight and fat mass while preserving lean body mass in middle-aged, physically active adults over 12 weeks.

If you want to lose fat and keep muscle without changing your exercise routine, you can choose either to eat lower-energy-density foods (more volume, fewer calories per gram) or to eat all your calories within an 8-hour window. Both methods worked equally well in this study. Choose the one you can stick to consistently, as adherence was higher for the time-restricted eating group.

Intermittent severe caloric restriction (3 days/week, 600-800 kcal) combined with habitual intake on other days for 6 weeks produces significant weight loss primarily from android fat mass while preserving fat-free mass and maintaining metabolic health in active athletes.

If you are an active athlete needing to lose weight, try restricting calories to 600-800 kcal on 3 alternating days (e.g., Mon/Wed/Fri) while eating normally on the other 4 days for 6 weeks. This method preserves muscle better than daily dieting and is easier to stick to socially. Ensure you are eating enough protein on non-restriction days to support your training.

Combining 16:8 TRE with exercise significantly reduces triglycerides and LDL cholesterol compared to exercise alone, with greater LDL-C reductions observed in men.

If you exercise regularly, adding a 16:8 time-restricted eating schedule may lead to small but significant improvements in triglycerides and LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol) compared to exercising without dietary timing restrictions. Men may see greater improvements in LDL-C. These benefits are modest and should be viewed as part of a broader cardiometabolic risk-reduction plan.

Multicomponent lifestyle interventions (diet, exercise, behavioral strategies) are recommended for all women with PCOS and excess weight to achieve 5-10% weight loss, which significantly improves hormonal outcomes, insulin resistance, and quality of life.

If you have PCOS and carry extra weight, start with a plan that combines better eating, regular movement, and behavioral strategies like tracking your progress. Aim to lose just 5-10% of your body weight over six months; this small change significantly improves your hormones, insulin resistance, and how you feel. Work with a provider who respects your individual preferences and avoids weight stigma.

Lifestyle modification, specifically education, self-empowerment, and weight management, is the prioritized first-line intervention for the prevention and management of excess weight in women with PCOS.

Start with education and self-empowerment. Focus on managing weight through lifestyle changes as your primary tool. This is the recommended first step before considering medications.

Adequate protein intake (≥0.8 g/kg body weight) is essential for optimal antibody production and immune cell function, whereas very low protein status increases infection risk and mortality.

Ensure you are eating at least 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily. This amount is necessary to produce antibodies and support immune cells. If you are elderly or recovering from illness, you may benefit from slightly higher intake, but do not neglect protein as a basic immune defense.

Maintaining or increasing physical activity and limiting screen time increases during abrupt societal changes (such as pandemic restrictions) mitigates negative mental health consequences, including depression, anxiety, and loneliness.

If you are facing restrictions that make your normal routine impossible, prioritize keeping up your physical activity levels and limit non-essential screen time. The study shows that dropping your activity level or increasing screen time is strongly linked to worse mental health, including higher depression and anxiety. You can maintain activity through home-based exercises or telehealth guidance even if you are isolated.

A structured very-low-calorie ketogenic diet (VLCKD) administered for 17-19 weeks effectively reverses insufficient weight loss and weight regain in post-bariatric surgery patients, achieving significant fat mass reduction while preserving muscular strength and metabolic health.

If you have had bariatric surgery but haven't lost enough weight or have regained it, a structured Very-Low-Calorie Ketogenic Diet (VLCKD) is a viable, safe, and effective option. The protocol involves a strict 6-week active phase (approx. 600 kcal, very low carb, high protein), followed by a gradual re-introduction of foods over 13 more weeks. Crucially, you must continue your prescribed post-surgical vitamin and mineral supplements to avoid deficiencies. This approach can help you lose significant fat while keeping your muscle strength, without harming your liver or kidneys, provided you are not diabetic or have other severe comorbidities.

Postmenopausal women should adopt a healthy dietary pattern (high in sea fish, seaweeds, dairy, cereals, vegetables, and fruits; low in fast food, animal fat, sweets, and fried food) to protect against dysregulated lipid metabolism, metabolic syndrome, and obesity.

Focus on a diet rich in whole foods: eat more sea fish, seaweeds, dairy, cereals, fresh vegetables, and fruits. Simultaneously, reduce your intake of fast foods, animal fats, sweets, and fried foods. This pattern helps lower triglycerides, raise HDL cholesterol, and reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome common after menopause.

Increasing dietary protein intake to 1.0–1.2 g/kg/day helps compensate for skeletal muscle loss (sarcopenia) during weight loss in middle-aged and older women.

If you are trying to lose weight, aim for 1.0 to 1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight each day. This higher amount helps protect your muscle mass from being lost along with fat, which is a common issue for women after menopause.

Wearable activity trackers lead to improvements in body composition, specifically bodyweight and waist circumference, with large effect sizes for bodyweight reduction.

Using a wearable activity tracker can help you lose weight, with an average reduction of 0.5 to 1.5 kg. This benefit is seen in both healthy adults and those with chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease. The weight loss is a result of the increased physical activity driven by the tracker.

Mobile health (mHealth) interventions, particularly those involving text messaging (SMS) and clinical feedback, significantly improve glycemic control (HbA1c) in patients with type 2 diabetes compared to standard care.

For patients with diabetes, using mobile health tools like SMS reminders or apps to track blood glucose and receive feedback from healthcare providers can lead to modest but clinically meaningful improvements in blood sugar control (HbA1c), especially for those with type 2 diabetes. This approach works best when combined with standard care and lifestyle education, and effects are most evident within the first year of use.

Integrated periodization, which coordinates exercise training with recovery, nutrition, psychology, and skill acquisition across training phases, optimizes athletic performance more effectively than exercise-only periodization.

Do not just plan your workouts. Plan your sleep, your food timing, your mental focus, and your technical practice in sync with your physical training phases. Adjust these non-training factors to support the specific goals of each training block (e.g., high volume vs. taper).

Nutrient intake and timing should be periodized in relation to exercise and the competition calendar to promote physiological adaptations and performance capacity.

Change what and when you eat based on your training schedule. Eat more carbs and calories during high-volume/high-intensity blocks. Reduce intake slightly during rest or low-volume phases to manage body composition without compromising health.

Medically tailored groceries (MTG) and produce prescriptions improve diet quality and clinical markers (like HbA1c) in patients with diet-related chronic conditions.

If you have diabetes or heart disease and struggle to buy healthy food, ask your doctor about produce prescription programs or medically tailored groceries. These programs often provide vouchers or specific foods to help you manage your condition.

Adopting a hypocaloric diet with reduced fat, low carbohydrates, high protein, and increased fiber helps mitigate weight gain during lockdown.

To prevent weight gain, eat smaller portions and focus on high-protein, low-carb foods with plenty of fiber. Reduce fat intake. This helps manage hunger and prevents obesity-related risks.

Vitamin D supplementation or consumption of vitamin D-rich foods prevents insufficiency caused by insufficient sunlight exposure during lockdowns.

Since you are indoors, get Vitamin D from supplements or foods like fatty fish, cod liver oil, and egg yolks. Consult a doctor for the right supplement dose to avoid toxicity.

Tailored, supervised exercise training serves as an effective multisystemic therapy for post-COVID-19 syndrome, mitigating symptoms such as fatigue, dyspnea, and neurocognitive impairment.

If you have persistent symptoms after COVID-19, do not avoid exercise, but do not push through fatigue. Start with low-load, low-volume resistance training and interval-based endurance training that does not take you to failure. The goal is to gradually improve functional capacity and reduce symptoms like breathlessness and brain fog. Consult a specialist to create a tailored plan that respects your current limits and allows for adequate recovery.

Intentional weight loss, particularly through bariatric surgery or significant lifestyle changes, reduces the risk of obesity-associated cancers, including endometrial and breast cancer.

If you are obese, losing weight can significantly lower your risk of endometrial and breast cancer. Even a modest loss of 20 pounds or more has been shown to reduce risk. Bariatric surgery, for those eligible, offers even greater protection.

Exercise interventions for hip or knee osteoarthritis reduce pain and improve physical function, with moderate quality evidence supporting these outcomes.

If you have hip or knee osteoarthritis, exercise is recommended to reduce pain and improve function. While the benefits are modest (around 6% pain reduction), they are significant for quality of life. Start with exercises tailored to your abilities and preferences, and focus on consistency rather than intensity.

Sustained nutritional ketosis achieved through a continuous remote care intervention (CCI) involving carbohydrate restriction (<30g/day initially) leads to significant improvements in glycemic control, weight loss, and diabetes remission in Type 2 Diabetes patients over 2 years, while reducing medication dependence without adverse effects on bone health.

To manage Type 2 Diabetes long-term, consider a continuous care approach that includes nutritional ketosis. Start with less than 30g of carbs per day, aiming for a blood ketone level of 0.5-3.0 mmol/L. Work with a healthcare team to monitor your progress and adjust medications as needed. This approach has been shown to improve blood sugar, reduce weight, and even reverse diabetes in many cases over 2 years, without harming bone health.

Thiamine (Vitamin B1) deficiency is a medical emergency in bariatric patients presenting with rapid weight loss, vomiting, or neurological symptoms, requiring immediate treatment without waiting for blood test results.

If you have had bariatric surgery and experience severe vomiting, rapid weight loss, or confusion/numbness, tell your doctor immediately. They may give you high-dose thiamine (Vitamin B1) right away, even before blood tests come back, to protect your brain. This is a critical safety step.