Weight Management

When it comes to health, further research supports the notion that steadily losing weight over time (and keeping it off) is more important than losing weight quickly.

Achieving and maintaining an optimal body weight can be a challenge. For those of us who carry extra pounds that we want or need to shed, its tempting to turn to crash dieting in hopes of rapid weight loss.

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.

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.