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Longevity Atlas
Nutrition

5–10% weight loss when overweight

You needn't reach an ideal weight: a 5% loss already improves blood pressure, insulin sensitivity and fatty liver; 10% reverses half of prediabetes and eases sleep apnoea.

Impact 4/55/5Effort: lifestyle change
First step today

Today: measure your waist (target: under half your height) and cut your single largest source of liquid calories.

How

What works durably: protein 1.6 g/kg (satiating, protects muscle), fibre, dropping UPF, zeroing liquid calories (soda, alcohol), a moderate deficit (300–500 kcal), strength training to keep muscle, 7+ hours of sleep (sleep loss takes 60% of weight lost from muscle). GLP-1 drugs at BMI 30+, with mandatory strength training.

Evidence

Diabetes Prevention Program (n=3,234): 7% weight loss plus 150 minutes of exercise cut diabetes incidence 58% (metformin 31%). DiRECT (n=298): 15 kg weight loss brought remission in 86% of type 2 diabetics. Look AHEAD: those reaching 10% had 21% fewer cardiovascular events.

Goals

Body weightHeart, blood sugarHealthy yearsSleep

Related studies

Sources

  1. Knowler WC et al. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin – DPP. NEJM (2002) ↗
  2. Lean MEJ et al. Primary care-led weight management for remission of type 2 diabetes – DiRECT. Lancet (2018) ↗

Last reviewed: 6 September 2026

This site is educational and does not replace medical advice. Start any supplement or drug only after consulting a doctor or pharmacist.