Overweight people who lost 5 to 10 percent of their weight lowered their risk for metabolic syndrome by 22 percent. Those who lost 20 percent cut their risk by over 50 percent.

Strict diets can be challenging to follow, and people may not always have the time or ability to exercise. However, a variety of simple lifestyle changes can help people lose weight and improve their health. These include taking probiotics, getting enough sleep, and thoroughly chewing food. Learn more here.

Monk fruit and stevia are natural, plant-based sweeteners. The products tend to contain few, if any, calories, carbohydrates, and sugars, and people use them as alternatives to sugar, honey, and other sweeteners. Here, we describe what monk fruit and stevia are and how to choose between them.

Almost half of Thailand’s Buddhist monks are obese, a study found. The government has asked devotees to put healthier food in their daily offerings to slim waistlines.

Doctors have known that as people pack on the pounds, their sense of taste diminishes. New research in mice helps explain what's going on: Inflammation brought on by obesity may be killing taste buds.(Image credit: Omikron Omikron/Getty Images/Science Source)

Edible mushrooms, not the psychedelic ones, are low in calories and high in fiber and antioxidants. But despite the hype, scientists are just now looking into how they might fight disease in humans.(Image credit: Mary Shattock/Flickr)