Diet & Weight Loss Archive

Intermittent fasting is limiting the window of time each day when a person eats. It has become popular as a weight loss tool, so people want to know if it's effective and whether it can work for them, and a recent study attempted to provide some answers.

Limiting meals to a certain window of time each day, an approach called time-restricted eating, didn't appear to help people lose any more weight compared with ordinary calorie restriction in a small randomized trial published in 2022.

Misperceptions and biases about obesity can derail progress against this common disease, which affects 42% of Americans and is linked to many serious health problems, including heart disease. Bias and stigma against people with obesity is widespread, often due to a belief that poor choices and lack of motivation are the only causes. But a number of interconnected factors are involved, including an obesity-promoting environment, lack of physical activity, genetics, insufficient sleep, mental health issues, and certain medications.

A new study suggests a high-fiber diet may protect against dementia. In a group of about 3,700 older adults, those who consumed the most fiber (about 20 grams daily) had the lowest rates of dementia, and those who ate the least fiber (8 grams daily) had the highest rates.

A study published online Jan. 15, 2022, by Appetite suggested that people's expectations of how full they will feel after eating can influence their actual food intake.

People who work the night shift might benefit from eating their meals during daytime hours. A 2021 study found a rise in blood sugar in people following night shift hours who ate some meals at night, but not in those who ate all meals during the day.

Consuming more than a half tablespoon of olive oil per day may protect people from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and Alzheimer's disease, according to a 2022 study.

According to the CDC, about 42% of men ages 60 and older are obese. But fat in itself is not the issue, as the body needs a certain amount of fat to stay healthy. The amount of stored fat, and especially its location in the body, have the greatest impact on health. Consuming too many calories and not getting enough exercise both contribute to stored fat, but people can reduce their amounts by watching calorie intake and increasing exercise, in particular with resistance training for men.

Between-meal snacks can either help or hinder people's efforts to eat a heart-healthy diet. Simple strategies such as upgrading food choices can help. Instead of low-quality carbs like candy or potato chips, people should choose high-quality carbs like fruit or whole-grain crackers, along with a little protein or healthy fat (such as half an apple with a handful of nuts). They should also try to avoid eating simply out of habit when they're not actually hungry.