Exercise & Mobility

Living in an area with a higher number of gyms and other exercise facilities nearby is associated with smaller waistlines, lower body mass index (BMI) and less body fat, according to a study in Lancet Public Health. Researchers tapped a national database of health information on about 400,000 people, ages 40 to 70, from across the United Kingdom. They correlated these data with information on the number of exercise facilities such as gyms, swimming pools and playing fields within about a half mile.

Tufts scientists were the first to coin a term for the gradual loss of muscle mass, strength and function that can occur with aging: sarcopenia. The decline in skeletal muscle from sarcopenia affects 15% of people older than age 65, and 50% of people older than age 80.

Remission of type 2 diabetes is possible through intensive weight management alone, according to findings from the Diabetes Remission Clinical Trial (DiRECT) reported in The Lancet.

Regular walking reduces the risk of death in older adults, even when they do less than the amount recommended by national guidelines, according to a study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

The more time you spend physically inactive during the day, the greater your risk for a variety of health problems-a lot of research shows that. But a new observational study in Annals of Internal Medicine found that being sedentary is even more risky if a person is inactive for long, interrupted bouts of 30 minutes or longer.

Increased genetic risk for obesity doesnt necessarily mean youll become obese, and maintaining a more physically-active lifestyle may decrease the obesity risk contributed byyour genetics, says Lu Qi, MD, PhD, senior author of a recent study on the topic published in Diabetes and director of the Tulane University Obesity Research Center in New Orleans.

Intermittent fasting is a hot topic among dieters and researchers alike. This weight loss approach is all about forgoing food and caloric beverages for periods longer than a typical overnight fast.

Some people use supplements and fermented foods containing probiotics-beneficial bacteria and yeasts-in an effort to improve health. But, is there good science behind them? Probiotic experts help clear up six common myths.

Walking may seem like a pretty simple activity. But, several different parts of your body are involved, like your heart, lungs, nerves, muscles and bones. So, your walking pace may slow if you're having a problem in one or more of these parts of the body.

Small, gradual weight gain during early and middle adulthood may get little attention since it doesn't necessarily cause health problems in our younger years. But, it may have serious consequences later in life.