Weight Management

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.

Policymakers are looking at ways to help nudge Americans to make healthier food choices. Two possible approaches: 1) raise the prices of unhealthy foods to discourage their consumption and 2) subsidize the prices of healthy foods to encourage their consumption. The payoff from either one? Lower risk of death from cardiovascular disease, says a new study.

Eating a higher-quality diet may lead to a more favorable body fat distribution, says Gertraud Maskarinec, MD, PhD, an epidemiologist at the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, who recently coauthored a study on the topic published in the journal Obesity.

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.

Do foods like cake, cookies and potato chips seem to call your name when you're on a weight-loss diet? It may help to cut out such foods completely, say the authors of a new study in the journal Obesity.

Why are more than two-thirds of adults and about one-third of kids in the US overweight or obese? Two key factors in weight control are our eating habits and physical activity levels. But, complex interactions between our genetics and environmental factors may play a role, too.

Of any cancer, inflammation has one of the clearest links with colorectal cancer. That includes cancers of the colon (large intestine) and rectum (tail end of the colon). So, it's worth considering whether reducing inflammation through healthful eating could decrease colorectal cancer risk.

During the day, the hormones and overall metabolic processes in our bodies are better prepared to handle the food we consume than if we eat later in the evening when our so-called 'body clock' is preparing for rest. Although this body clock may vary slightly from person to person, the suggestion of avoiding eating after 8 p.m. is, broadly speaking, a good way to ensure that eating happens before our metabolism begins to wind down for the night.

For older adults struggling with obesity, its a bit of a catch-22 that weight loss may speed up age-related loss of muscle and bone mass (lean tissue). That could worsen physical ability and contribute to frailty. The solution? "Exercise is important to help preserve muscle and bone mass during weight loss and to further improve physical function," says Dennis T. Villareal, MD, at Baylor College of Medicine and lead author of a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Could carrying a little extra weight protect you from an early death - perhaps by giving you an energy reserve if you fall ill? Past studies have suggested this might be the case, but new research published in Annals of Internal Medicine challenges this thinking.