Weight Management

According to a recent analysis, 97% of studies that were independently funded (not sponsored by beverage makers) have reported that drinking sugary sodas is linked with obesity and diabetes.

Q. Are raw-food smoothies beneficial for weight loss and overall health?

While losing weight can protect you against chronic diseases, it does come with a downside - especially for postmenopausal women: Studies have shown that obese older women who lose weight also lose lean muscle mass and bone mineral density (BMD), particularly if they are inactive, potentially putting them at greater risk of frailty and falls.

If you followed the headlines about a recent study of contestants in the "Biggest Loser" reality-TV show, you might be despairing about your own chances of maintaining a healthy weight. The study, published in the journal Obesity, tracked contestants appearing on the shows eighth season, with 14 of the 16 willing to be re-measured six years later. On average, participants gained back more than two-thirds of the pounds they lost on the programs extreme diet and exercise regimen; some are even heavier now than before.

Even just walking to the bus stop or train station might help commuters control their weight, according to a large British study.

Don't count on green-tea pills to help you lose weight or keep your bones strong. A new clinical trial testing year-long supplementation of green-tea extract reports no difference between the pills and placebo in changes in body mass index, total fat mass or percentage of body fat, or bone-mineral density.

Substituting colorful fruits and vegetables such as berries, peaches and peppers into your diet could help combat the gradual weight gain with age sometimes referred to as "middle-age spread." A large new study, published in BMJ, links greater consumption of foods high in plant pigments called flavonoids to less weight gain over time.

Losing even a modest amount of weight could reduce your risk of osteoarthritis, a new Dutch study suggests. Researchers followed 353 overweight and obese women, average age 56, for two and a half years.

Losing weight can improve your cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as your waistline, according to a major new intervention study. The study found similar weight loss amounts could be achieved by lower-fat or lower-carbohydrate diets, whether the lower-carb diet was rich in walnuts or in monounsaturated fat (as in canola or olive oils).

If you've got your AARP card but you're still eating the way you did in your 20s, it's time for your diet to act your age. While most nutritional guidance is "ageless," you do need to make some adjustments to fit the changing needs of your aging body.