It’s not news that a high percentage of body fat raises your risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and some types of cancer. That’s why it’s a good idea to keep tabs on your body fat percentage.

But the most common measure used by physicians is flawed, according to a new policy adopted by the American Medical Association.

Sugar has been vilified for decades. Refined (or processed) sugar as lacks nutrients, making high sugar foods essentially empty calories that contribute malnutrition. And high sugar consumption also has been linked to dental problems, obesity and heart disease. 

It’s hot out there, folks. The summer of 2023, which has another month and half to run, is likely to be one of the hottest on record. Considering last summer was one of the hottest measured, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, these heat waves appear to be with us to stay.

Whether you’re a weekend warrior trying to squeeze in a few miles on your bike or just want to spend some summer days at the beach, this isn’t good news. The heat can be hard on our health.

When most people diet, their goal is to lose weight. But our weight – whether we’re 120 pounds or 250 pounds — doesn’t directly correlate to health like many people think it does. In population studies weight and body mass index or BMI are linked to health outcomes, but the numbers can be wrong in individuals.

A lot of people trying to lose weight often start out fast – dropping pounds at a rapid pace. But losing weight too fast can be detrimental to your health and sabotage your overall goals. Rapid weight loss is often followed by rapid weight gain. Or worse: Rapid weight loss can put your health at risk.

Lab work, screenings and tests may be a hassle, but they can save your life. You’ll notice that your doctor will order some tests during certain periods of your life, while others will be ordered every year. 

Here are the preventive screenings you’ll probably have during your life broken down into two categories by age group. 

According to the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control, the preventable health conditions and diseases with the highest cost, if you get them, are:

When it comes to aging, we can’t always avoid major health issues. But even if our genetics set us up for type 2 diabetes, for example, there are plenty of steps we can take to reduce our risk. Which preventive steps provide the biggest return on our effort? 

Here’s where science suggests your investment will get you the furthest in lowering your risk.

We often think of prevention from the perspective of youth. If we had started eating healthy in our 20s, if we had built strong exercise habits in our 30s, if we had maintained a healthy weight in our 40s … While we can do a lot of good — or bad — when we’re young, we can still have an impact on our health as we age. Prevention never stops. 

Here are some of things you can do to improve your health and keep chronic illness and other age-related issues at bay. 

Have you ever gotten a stomachache when you’ve been nervous or stressed? It’s that awful queasy feeling that creeps up when you’re facing a deadline, getting ready for a presentation or taking a test. And while these stomachaches usually pass quickly, they show a connection between stress and gut health.