Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [weight-loss]

A reduction of the total body mass, due to a mean loss of fluid, body fat or adipose tissue and/or lean mass.

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Do people carry around up to 20 lbs (9 kg) of poop?

The claim from this site: It’s been said that the average American carries around between 5-20 extra pounds of poop in their intestines. It's hard to believe it's true. Is there a medical evidence that proves this claim? Losing 20 lbs (9 kg) by…
Grasper
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Do fitness trackers make you fatter?

The idea of using a fitness tracker is that you should pay more attention to the amount of exercise you get and, therefore, be more likely to get enough. This should support weight loss in people who are carrying too much weight. A recent study…
matt_black
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Does honey with warm water and lemon reduce tummy fat?

There is a common belief that one can reduce tummy fat by drinking honey and lemon juice mixed in warm water the first thing in the morning. This questionable website, for example, makes this claim without citing research: Fasting on honey and…
Dheeraj Vepakomma
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Cardio vs. weight lifting for weight loss

There are a lot of people who either claim that cardio or weight lifting is the key to losing weight. For example an article questioning the need for cardio or an article claiming that cardio is the key to weight loss. The cardio folks usually point…
Andreas Arnold
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Does eating slower make you lose weight?

It is commonly said that eating slower will reduce your appetite. This site, for example, claims: Portion control & Overeating prevention. When you eat slowly it is definitely hard to overeat. Slow eating little by little decreases the desire to…
picakhu
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Are there benefits to the ECA stack for body-builders?

The use of the "ECA Stack" - ephedrine, caffeine and aspirin - has been common-place in body-building and weight-loss circles. (e.g. in 1999, 2% of the Danish population and 12 million US inhabitants were using some variant. [Ref] It is purported to…
David Gerard
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Can a person lose weight by being cold?

I encountered a person not wearing a jacket in cold weather. He said he does this to lose weight. He explained his theory: By allowing his body to lose calories (heat energy) to the environment, his body would have to burn more calories to stay…
RockPaperLz- Mask it or Casket
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Are slow metabolisms to blame for obesity?

I have heard many times that someone's "slow metabolism" is responsible for their obesity. Many times I've also heard that it isn't to blame. Here's an example of a source claiming that slow metabolism isn't to blame: Is it possible to be…
DarkLightA
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Do saunas affect your health?

With James Ray being found guilty of culpable homicide over three fatalities in a sweat lodge in Arizona, I was wondering if saunas really do benefit your health? Does it effect your skin, heart, muscles toxin levels and more? Are sauna benefits,…
Hairy
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Can the human body significantly build muscle while losing body fat?

The fitness community often says that you can't slim down and build muscle at the same time. The reason for this is said to be that the body is in a “catabolic state” with calorie deficit. In order to be in an “anabolic state”, there should be no…
Maron
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Are fat people happier?

We all know Santa Claus is a big jolly guy, but is it true that fat people are happier than slim people? They teamed up with colleagues across Europe to study the lifestyles of thousands of people and the results were stark: thin people were far…
YUASK
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Does increasing water intake during a diet help with weight loss?

Just about any weight loss coach/program I've ever seen say that drinking a lot of water (exact amount vary) combined with a low-calorie diet helps with losing weight (compered to the diet alone) Does drinking more water have any effect on weight…
Nir
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Does Weight Watchers work?

Weight Watchers: The proven Weight Watchers approach makes losing weight simpler than ever. Some dietary interventions for weight loss result in the person losing weight for a short term period, only to regain the weight afterwards. Does Weight…
Christian
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Does taking a shower when dehydrated increase body weight?

For sports (such as wrestling, MMA, judo, etc) where the competition is divided into weight divisions, it's common to drop cut 10+ lbs of water weight hours before weigh ins and then rehydrate right after. It's a popular, and seemingly unproven,…
Alan Turing
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Can weight gain be due to underlying health conditions?

According to the NHS (United Kingdom): Most people put on weight because they eat and drink more calories than they burn through everyday movement and body functions. But in some cases, your weight gain may be due to an underlying health …
John Doe
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