Is Coffee a Superfood?

It’s not an exaggeration to say that America runs on coffee—some 400 million cups a day, according to the most recent data from the National Coffee Association. That works out to about 9 pounds of coffee per person per year. [Read more…]

Why Doctors Are Moving Away from BMI

If you’ve been to a doctor’s office or fitness center in recent years, you’ve likely had your Body Mass Index calculated. The BMI formula uses a person’s weight in kilograms divided by the square of their height in meters. The resulting number is classified into one of four categories: underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese. These labels are prolific in the U.S. medical system. At one point, BMI classification was even used to establish eligibility for COVID vaccines. [Read more…]

The Link Between Food Insecurity and Binge Eating

Food insecurity—or not having access to enough quality food—is a significant risk factor for binge eating disorder, according to a new systematic review published earlier this year. [Read more…]

New Research: Moderate Drinking Provides No Health Benefits

Alcohol consumption is an often-celebrated part of our culture. Millions of Americans enjoy beers at the ball game, wine with dinner, or a cocktail with friends after work on Friday. [Read more…]

New Guidance Promotes Treating Childhood Obesity

The American Academy of Pediatricians is recommending a new approach to childhood obesity that addresses the condition as a complex disease and recommends intense behavioral treatment.

Twenty-one of the nation’s top experts in childhood health developed new guidelines after reviewing the body of evidence on childhood obesity; this is the first time in 15 years the group has addressed the topic. [Read more…]

It Turns Out You May Not Need That Vitamin D Supplement

Vitamin D is one of the most commonly taken supplements in the U.S., consumed by an estimated one-third of people age 60 and older. For decades, doctors have touted the vitamin’s ability to help the body absorb and retain calcium and phosphorus, which help bone growth, reduce cancer cell growth, and control infections. [Read more…]

Which Diet Works Better, Low-Fat or Low-Carb?

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight, you’ve noticed the myriad of diet options out there: keto, paleo, WW (formerly Weight Watchers), the Mediterranean diet, and many more.

Is there a way to tell which one works the best? Public health officials have been asking this question for decades. The answer emerging from the most recent data is unexpected: They all work, and what works best for you depends on a variety of biological and lifestyle factors. [Read more…]

A Drink a Day May Not Be So Good for You, After All

After a holiday season full of good cheer—and extra cocktails for many—more Americans than ever participated this year in “Dry January,” a month-long sobriety challenge that began as a public-health campaign in England. Surveys found that between 13 and 15 percent of Americans decided to forgo alcohol that month, an increase from last year.

That’s likely a good thing for their health. [Read more…]

Are Plant-Based Diets Really Better for You?

An estimated 3 percent of Americans follow a vegan diet, not consuming any animal products at all; an additional 5 percent follow a vegetarian diet, eating eggs and dairy, but not meat. At the same time, Americans are eating more meat than ever. In 2020, we consumed an average of 265 pounds of meat per person, up from 97 pounds per person in 1999. [Read more…]

What You Thought About Your Metabolism May Be Wrong

Talk to people who are middle-aged or older about body weight, and you’ll likely hear them complain about how their metabolism has slowed down. But our commonly held beliefs about metabolism – primarily, that it slows for older people and women – are likely completely wrong, according to a new groundbreaking study published in the journal Science this month. [Read more…]

Can Technology Promote Weight Loss?

More than half of the world’s population is overweight or obese, a trend that is contributing to significant health problems in people across the globe. Obesity is a major risk factor for many chronic health problems including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

Encouraging people to lose weight is one solution, but the evidence shows that weight loss is difficult and rarely sustained. [Read more…]

Drinking Coffee Is Actually Good for You

Sixty-four percent of Americans drink coffee, adding up to 400 million cups daily. That’s a lot of coffee!

Researchers have long debated the health effects of one of America’s favorite drinks. In 1991, coffee was listed as a possible carcinogen by the World Health Organization. Research has demonstrated that coffee increases blood pressure and heart rate, but less is known about its impact on cardiovascular health. Coffee is not recommended for pregnant women because it’s unknown how it affects unborn babies. [Read more…]

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