Browse the evidence

Web-based interventions that include enhanced features such as behavioral therapy, human email counseling, or automated feedback achieve significantly greater weight loss compared to education-only web-based programs or control groups.

If you use a web-based weight loss program, choose one that offers more than just information. Look for programs that provide personalized feedback, behavioral therapy, or regular contact with a counselor. These 'enhanced' features are key to achieving greater weight loss compared to basic educational websites.

Higher daily step counts (specifically >5,000 to >12,500 steps) are associated with a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome and cardiometabolic risk factors in cross-sectional studies.

Aiming for more than 5,000 steps a day is associated with a lower risk of metabolic syndrome. Reaching 12,500 steps offers even greater protection against cardiometabolic risks, according to large population studies.

A low-carbohydrate, ketogenic diet (LCKD) leads to significantly greater improvements in glycemic control (HbA1c) and more frequent medication reduction compared to a low-glycemic index diet (LGID) in patients with type 2 diabetes and obesity.

For individuals with type 2 diabetes and obesity, adopting a strict low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet (under 20g carbs daily) for 24 weeks can significantly improve blood sugar control and allow for the reduction or elimination of diabetes medications, outperforming standard low-glycemic index diets. This approach does not require calorie counting, focusing instead on limiting carbohydrates while allowing unlimited intake of meats, eggs, and non-starchy vegetables.

Regular moderate-intensity physical activity (≥30 min, ≥5 times/week) improves insulin sensitivity and glycemic control in adults with type 2 diabetes, potentially reducing medication needs.

Aim for 30 minutes of moderate activity, like brisk walking, at least five days a week. If you have physical limitations, consult a healthcare provider to create an individualized plan that fits your abilities. This helps manage blood sugar and may reduce the need for medication.

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.

Popular commercial weight management apps that incorporate evidence-based behavior change techniques (specifically goal setting, self-monitoring, and feedback) along with semi-automated tracking features demonstrate significantly higher app quality, engagement, and information quality than those lacking these features.

When choosing a weight management app, prioritize those that offer semi-automated tracking (like barcode scanners or device syncing) and explicitly include behavior change techniques like goal setting and self-monitoring. These features are correlated with higher app quality and engagement, whereas apps that rely solely on aesthetics or manual entry may lack the necessary content for effective behavior change.

Adopting a Mediterranean-style Step I diet (high in alpha-linolenic acid, fruits, vegetables, and fish) significantly reduces the risk of recurrent cardiovascular disease events compared to a standard Step I diet in post-myocardial infarction patients.

If you have had a heart attack, switch to a Mediterranean-style diet. Eat more bread, root/green vegetables, fish, and fruit daily. Replace red meat with poultry. Use margarine high in alpha-linolenic acid (like canola/vegetable oil blends) instead of butter/cream. This specific pattern has been shown to cut recurrent heart event risk by half to seventy percent compared to standard low-fat diets, even when cholesterol levels look similar.

Regular physical activity, particularly strength training, improves physical functioning and quality of life in older adults by preserving muscle mass and strength, thereby supporting independent living.

Engage in regular physical activity, specifically including strength training, to maintain muscle mass and strength. This helps you perform daily tasks independently and improves your overall quality of life.

Consuming at least two portions of oil-rich fish per week (providing ~0.45g long-chain n-3 PUFAs daily) is recommended to protect against fatal heart disease.

Aim to eat two portions of fish weekly, ensuring one is an oil-rich variety like salmon, mackerel, or sardines (fresh, canned, or frozen) to get protective long-chain n-3 fatty acids.

Internet-based physical activity interventions are more effective than waiting list strategies in increasing physical activity levels in adults.

Use an internet-based program that offers personalized feedback and self-monitoring tools. These programs have been shown to be more effective than doing nothing (waiting list) for increasing physical activity in adults, regardless of their specific health conditions, as long as they have internet access.

High-velocity power training improves whole-body physical function in community-dwelling older adults more effectively than traditional strength training, despite producing similar gains in maximal strength and anaerobic power.

If you are an older adult looking to improve your ability to perform daily tasks like climbing stairs or getting out of a chair, prioritize speed over heavy weight. Perform your resistance exercises (like leg presses or chest presses) at 40% of your maximum strength, but move the weight as fast as you safely can. Do this three times a week for at least 16 weeks. You do not need to lift heavy weights to see functional improvements; the speed of the movement is the key driver.

Lifestyle interventions involving weight management through diet and physical activity are the primary effective strategy for improving liver histology and delaying disease progression in NAFLD, whereas pharmacological treatments like metformin lack demonstrated effectiveness and TZDs carry significant long-term risks.

Focus on weight management through diet and physical activity. This is the only proven method to improve liver histology and delay NAFLD progression. Do not rely on metformin for liver health, as studies show it is ineffective for this purpose. Be aware that while TZDs (like pioglitazone) can reduce liver fat, they carry significant side effects (heart failure, osteoporosis) and NASH can recur if stopped.

Adopting a whole-food, plant-based diet significantly reduces HbA1c, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels, often allowing for the reduction or elimination of chronic disease medications.

Start by filling half your plate with non-starchy vegetables, a quarter with whole grains or starchy plants, and a quarter with legumes. Eliminate meat, dairy, eggs, and refined sugars. Add a small handful of nuts or seeds daily. This approach has been shown to significantly improve blood sugar, blood pressure, and cholesterol, often reducing the need for medications under a doctor's supervision.

Low-volume constant-load high-intensity interval training (HIT) significantly improves insulin sensitivity and increases skeletal muscle oxidative capacity (mitochondrial content and GLUT4) in previously sedentary middle-aged adults.

If you are sedentary and middle-aged, you can significantly improve your metabolic health without spending hours at the gym. Perform 6 sessions of cycling over 2 weeks. Each session involves 10 minutes of total work (10 intervals of 1 minute each, with 1 minute rest). Cycle at a resistance that feels hard (about 80-95% of your max heart rate) but is not all-out. This short commitment yields similar metabolic benefits to long endurance workouts.

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.

A 1200 kcal/day diet combined with aerobic exercise induces weight loss in overweight PCOS patients, which significantly reduces ovarian volume and microfollicle count, restores ovulatory cycles, and increases spontaneous pregnancy rates.

For overweight women with PCOS struggling with infertility, a strict 1200 kcal/day diet is the first-line treatment. You do not need a specific gym routine; just incorporate moderate aerobic activity like swimming or aerobics 1-2 times a week. Losing just 5% of your body weight can significantly shrink ovarian volume, restore regular ovulation, and increase your chances of spontaneous pregnancy.

Lowering total carbohydrate intake (very-low to moderately low) improves glycemic control (A1C, fasting glucose) and insulin sensitivity in people with type 2 diabetes, often allowing for reduced medication use, without worsening CVD risk markers compared to conventional diets.

For people with type 2 diabetes, reducing carbohydrate intake to 21-70g/day (very-low) or 30-40% of calories (moderately low) can significantly improve blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity. This approach often allows for a reduction in diabetes medications. While CVD risk markers like cholesterol may not improve as dramatically as glycemic markers, the overall metabolic benefit is clear. Consult your doctor before changing your diet or medication.

Lifestyle interventions (diet, exercise, or behavioral) significantly improve anthropometric, metabolic, and reproductive markers in women with PCOS, specifically reducing body weight, waist circumference, fasting insulin, and testosterone levels.

For women with PCOS, engaging in structured lifestyle changes—whether through diet, exercise, or behavioral counseling—can significantly improve key health markers. Specifically, these interventions can lead to modest but meaningful reductions in body weight, waist circumference, and insulin levels, as well as improvements in testosterone levels and hirsutism. While lifestyle changes did not show significant effects on glucose tolerance or lipid profiles in this review, they remain a first-line recommendation for managing the underlying hormonal and metabolic disturbances of PCOS.

Nutritional supplementation promotes weight gain and improves fat-free mass, 6-minute walk distance, and quality of life in undernourished COPD patients, with maximal benefits when combined with exercise.

If you have COPD and are losing weight or have low muscle mass, nutritional supplements are recommended. Focus on high-protein, high-fat oral supplements taken in small, frequent portions throughout the day rather than large meals. This strategy helps overcome the breathlessness associated with eating large volumes and supports muscle maintenance. Combining this with exercise may yield the best functional results.

Consuming wholegrains is associated with reduced risks of coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and all-cause mortality compared to refined carbohydrates.

Replace refined grains (white bread, white rice, regular pasta) with wholegrain versions (wholewheat bread, brown rice, wholegrain pasta) in your regular meals. This simple swap provides fiber and resistant starch that help lower cholesterol and stabilize blood sugar, reducing your risk of heart disease and diabetes.