GuideScience & Research
The Biggest Loser Study and Metabolic Adaptation
A six-year follow-up of 14 contestants found their resting metabolism stayed lower than expected. What that does and does not mean.
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What the studies actually say about metabolism, appetite, hormones and weight.
GuideScience & Research
The 3,500-Calorie Rule and Why It Falls Short
The idea that a 500-calorie daily cut means a pound a week is tidy but misleading. Here is how the body adapts and what a better rule of thumb looks like.
GuideScience & Research
Muscle and Fat: The Real Calorie Difference
Muscle burns more than fat at rest, but the difference is smaller than the slogan suggests. The real numbers, and why muscle still matters.
GuideScience & Research
Where Does Fat Go When You Lose It?
Chemistry shows that most of the fat you lose leaves through your lungs as carbon dioxide.
GuideScience & Research
Do You Absorb All the Calories You Eat?
Why the calories on a label are estimates, and what an almond experiment showed about absorption.
GuideScience & Research
The Thermic Effect of Food: Calories You Burn While You Digest
Eating costs energy. Your body spends some of the calories in a meal just to chew, digest, absorb and store it. This is called…
GuideScience & Research
Fat Cells: How Many You Have and What Happens When You Lose Weight
A common picture of weight loss is that fat cells empty out and then wait to refill. It raises a fair question: do you…
GuideScience & Research
NEAT: The Calories You Burn Without Trying
When people think about burning calories, they usually think of workouts. But for most people, the energy used in exercise is a small slice…
GuideScience & Research
Gut Bacteria and Weight: A Promising Idea Meets a Careful Trial
A randomized trial tested a gut bacteria transplant for weight loss. Here is how it turned out and how to read it.
GuideScience & Research
Is Your Weight in Your Genes? Twins, DNA and Everyday Life
What twin studies, gene studies and a recent review say about how much genes shape body weight, and what they do not decide.