Browse the evidence

Replacing one serving of fat-free dairy with one serving of whole- or reduced-fat dairy in a 2,000 kcal healthy eating pattern keeps saturated fat below 10% of total calories and sodium within recommended limits, while increasing energy intake by only 45–94 kcal.

If you currently eat fat-free dairy, try swapping just one of your three daily servings for a whole- or reduced-fat option (like whole milk or reduced-fat cheese). This small change adds only about 45-94 calories and keeps your saturated fat intake within recommended limits, potentially making your diet more satisfying without breaking your calorie goals.

Sodium restriction should be moderate (around 2.3g sodium/day or 6g salt/day) rather than very low, as very low intake may not provide additional benefit and could be associated with higher risk in some populations.

Aim for about 6 grams of salt per day (2.3g sodium). You don't need to restrict salt to extremely low levels, as this may not provide additional benefit and could potentially increase risk. Focus on balancing sodium with potassium-rich foods.

Longer-muscle length resistance training (LML-RT) produces greater longitudinal hypertrophy (fascicle length increases) and overall muscle size compared to shorter-muscle length resistance training (SML-RT).

To maximize muscle growth, especially in terms of muscle length (fascicle length), prioritize exercises that allow you to train at longer muscle lengths (e.g., deep squats, overhead extensions). While shorter-range training can build muscle, training through a fuller or lengthened range of motion appears to offer a superior hypertrophic advantage, particularly for longitudinal growth.

High-intensity acute exercise suppresses hunger and food intake, whereas low-to-moderate intensity exercise does not significantly affect appetite or food intake.

If your goal is to suppress appetite immediately after working out, prioritize high-intensity exercise (above 60% VO2max). Low and moderate intensity workouts will not provide this appetite-suppressing effect and may even increase hunger.

Chronic exercise combined with weight loss increases circulating ghrelin levels and hunger, acting as a physiological mechanism to regain lost weight.

When you lose weight through exercise and diet, your body will naturally increase hunger hormones (ghrelin) to try to regain the weight. This is a normal physiological response. To maintain your weight loss, you must be prepared for increased hunger and adopt strategies to manage it, such as rearranging exercise intensity and duration.

Long-term semaglutide treatment (0.5–2 mg weekly) induces significant weight loss (up to 14.4%) and appetite suppression in Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) patients without diabetes, though efficacy is variable and weight regain occurs upon discontinuation.

For PWS patients, semaglutide (0.5-2mg weekly) is a viable option for weight loss and appetite control, even after bariatric surgery. However, results vary, and stopping the drug leads to weight regain. It should be used as a long-term maintenance therapy alongside strict dietary controls, not as a one-time fix.

Short-term intensive insulin therapy improves beta-cell function and insulin sensitivity, increasing the likelihood of achieving type 2 diabetes remission compared to oral hypoglycemic agents alone.

For early-stage Type 2 Diabetes, short-term intensive insulin therapy can help restore your pancreas's ability to produce insulin. This approach is more effective for achieving remission than oral medications alone, though it requires strict adherence and monitoring during the intensive phase.

GLP-1 receptor agonists and GIP analogs show potential for achieving Type 2 diabetes remission through significant weight loss, but current trial data is limited.

For those with overweight or obesity, GLP-1 and GIP-based medications can facilitate significant weight loss, which is a key driver for Type 2 diabetes remission. While trials are still mapping their long-term efficacy for remission, they represent a promising tool for achieving weight loss goals necessary for reversing the disease.

Combining pharmacotherapy with lifestyle interventions (diet/exercise) or bariatric surgery yields superior weight loss and maintenance compared to either intervention alone.

For the best long-term results, do not rely on medication or diet/exercise alone. Use medication to help manage hunger while you establish sustainable diet and exercise habits. This combination is proven to help you keep the weight off after you stop the medication.

Primary Obesity Surgery Endoluminal (POSE) 2.0 and Endomina Gastric Plication are effective endoscopic gastric remodeling techniques that produce significant weight loss and metabolic improvements, though with varying efficacy profiles compared to ESG.

POSE 2.0 and Endomina are endoscopic options that use full-thickness plications to reduce stomach size. They are effective for weight loss and metabolic improvement, though ESG may offer higher weight loss percentages in some studies. They are suitable for patients seeking minimally invasive alternatives to surgery.

Once-weekly subcutaneous retatrutide significantly reduces body weight, BMI, and waist circumference in patients with overweight, obesity, and/or type 2 diabetes compared to placebo.

If you have obesity or type 2 diabetes, once-weekly retatrutide injections can lead to significant weight loss (averaging over 10 kg in these studies) and improved blood sugar control compared to no treatment. Be prepared for potential nausea or vomiting, which are common but usually not severe. The benefits are substantial, but the treatment requires adherence to a weekly injection schedule and dose escalation.

Retatrutide significantly improves glycemic control, including reductions in HbA1c, fasting glucose, and daily mean blood glucose, in patients with obesity and/or type 2 diabetes.

For those with type 2 diabetes or obesity, retatrutide helps lower blood sugar levels (HbA1c, fasting glucose) effectively. This is achieved through weekly injections that mimic natural hormones to regulate glucose. The benefit is particularly pronounced for those who already have diabetes.

Time-Restricted Feeding (TRF) without explicit caloric restriction can lead to weight loss and reduced body fat percentage, primarily by reducing the total duration of eating.

If you prefer not to count calories, try eating all your meals within an 8 to 10-hour window each day (e.g., 10 AM to 6 PM). You don't need to restrict what you eat during this window, but you will likely eat less overall because you have less time to eat. This can lead to modest weight loss and reduced body fat.

Telemedicine-based health coaching improves insulin sensitivity (HOMA-IR) in obese, nondiabetic adults, whereas in-person coaching and no coaching do not show significant within-group improvements.

Telemedicine coaching can help improve insulin sensitivity in obese, nondiabetic individuals, potentially reducing diabetes risk, even if other blood markers like glucose and HbA1c do not change significantly in the short term.

Performing aerobic exercise in a fasted state does not result in greater fat loss compared to exercising in a fed state when total caloric intake is controlled in a hypocaloric diet.

If you are trying to lose fat, you do not need to suffer through fasted cardio. Eat a meal before your workout if it makes you feel better or allows you to train harder. As long as you are in a caloric deficit and exercising consistently, your fat loss will be the same whether you train fasted or fed. Choose the timing that best fits your schedule and energy levels.

Liraglutide is the only other anti-obesity medication that does not significantly differ in efficacy from phentermine for achieving ≥5% weight loss over 6 months.

Liraglutide (up to 3mg daily) is a viable alternative to phentermine for weight loss, showing similar efficacy in achieving 5% weight loss over 6 months when combined with lifestyle changes.

Naltrexone/bupropion, lorcaserin, and orlistat are significantly less effective than phentermine for achieving ≥5% weight loss over 6 months.

Naltrexone/bupropion, lorcaserin, and orlistat are less likely to produce significant weight loss (≥5%) compared to phentermine over 6 months when combined with lifestyle changes.

In individuals with pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome, incorporating meal replacements into a weight loss intervention yields small, clinically important reductions in body weight, BMI, LDL-c, non-HDL-c, and systolic blood pressure compared to conventional food-based diets.

If you have pre-diabetes or metabolic syndrome, using meal replacements for 1-2 meals a day as part of a calorie-restricted diet will help you lose more weight and improve your cholesterol and blood pressure than just eating a standard healthy diet. Aim for replacements to make up about 28% of your daily calories. This is a short-term tool to jumpstart your health before transitioning to regular food.

Completion of a 24-week milk-based low-energy liquid diet (LELD) in adults with severe obesity significantly reduces the leptin-to-adiponectin ratio (LAR), indicating decreased insulin resistance, with the magnitude of LAR reduction being proportional to the percentage of weight lost.

If you have severe obesity, a structured, low-calorie milk-based diet for 24 weeks can significantly improve your metabolic health markers, specifically by lowering the ratio of leptin to adiponectin, which indicates better insulin sensitivity. This improvement is directly tied to how much weight you lose. However, be aware that adherence is difficult, with high dropout rates, and long-term weight maintenance is not guaranteed, so this intervention should be viewed as a powerful metabolic reset rather than a permanent lifestyle solution.

Long-term dietary interventions (≥12 months) involving moderate macronutrients, low-fat/high-carbohydrate, or high-fat/low-carbohydrate diets all produce significant and comparable weight loss, BMI reduction, and waist circumference reduction compared to a usual diet, with no clinically significant difference between the specific diet types.

If you are overweight or obese, any structured diet that involves active counseling and reduces calories will help you lose weight over the long term (12+ months). Whether you choose high-fat, low-fat, or moderate macronutrients, the amount of weight lost is roughly the same (around 5 kg). Do not waste energy trying to find the 'magic' macronutrient ratio; instead, choose the dietary pattern that fits your lifestyle and preferences so you can stick with it.

High-fat/low-carbohydrate (HFLC) diets may result in a statistically significant but clinically minimal additional weight loss (approx. 0.8 kg) and BMI reduction (approx. 0.4 kg/m2) compared to moderate macronutrient (MM) diets over the long term.

If you prefer a high-fat, low-carb diet, you might lose slightly more weight (less than 1 kg) than someone on a moderate diet, but the difference is negligible for health goals. Do not switch diets expecting a dramatic result; consistency and caloric deficit are the main drivers.

The same 12-week program significantly improves metabolic health markers, including insulin resistance (HOMA index), lipid profiles (triglycerides, VLDL), and inflammatory markers (CRP, PINI), independent of the magnitude of weight loss.

Obesity management should target metabolic health, not just weight. This program improves insulin sensitivity, lowers bad fats (triglycerides/VLDL), and reduces inflammation, which are key risk factors for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Office architectural design factors (layout openness, distance to amenities, stair availability, window-to-wall ratio) significantly influence occupants' physical activity levels and energy expenditure.

If you design or manage an office, consider placing high-use items (printers, kitchens) further away and making stairs more accessible and attractive. This simple architectural change can increase daily energy expenditure without requiring employees to 'exercise' formally.

Time-restricted eating (TRE) improves metabolic markers (insulin sensitivity, blood pressure) and aids weight loss, but its long-term efficacy is not yet fully established.

Try eating within an 8-hour window each day (e.g., 12 PM to 8 PM). This may improve your blood pressure and insulin sensitivity. Be cautious if you have diabetes or are pregnant. Adjust the window to fit your social life.