Over the past few years, a new class of medications has transformed the treatment of obesity. Drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro work primarily by reducing appetite, helping people eat less and feel full sooner. Their success has demonstrated something important: Body weight is biologically regulated, and targeting the right biological ...Read more

The carnivore diet is an extremely restrictive eating pattern that includes only animal-based foods — such as meat, poultry, eggs, fish, seafood, and in some cases limited dairy — while cutting out all plant-based foods, including fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds and nuts. Because it eliminates carbohydrates almost entirely, it’s...Read more

Fiber is an essential nutrient that supports digestion, promotes healthy weight management, and may reduce your risk of conditions like diabetes and heart disease. However, if you boost your fiber intake too quickly, it can cause bloating.

This is because your body can’t fully digest fiber. Instead, your gut produces bacteria that break it ...Read more

Gut health is easy to take for granted — or to ignore completely, if everything is generally functioning well. But gut problems can affect your overall health in a variety of ways, from the obvious (stomach discomfort) to less obvious effects on mood and immune function.

Why gut health matters

An essential aspect of gut health centers on the...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: Weights are part of my regular workout, but I’ve noticed more people at my gym deadlifting. I’d like to try it. What are the benefits, and how do I get started?

ANSWER: Deadlifting can add variety and take your workout to a new level. It’s a great full-body exercise that targets the larger muscle groups in your lower ...Read more

The bulk of the money Missouri gives to its crisis pregnancy centers comes from federal funds meant to assist families experiencing poverty with basic necessities and child care, Republican Rep. Jason Smith said on the U.S. House floor in January.

As many as $3 of every $4 for pregnancy centers in Missouri was from the federal Temporary ...Read more

The patient came in with a belly full of blood, Dr. Leilah Zahedi-Spung recalled. Her pregnancy was ectopic, no longer viable, and could have killed her if left untreated. But when she went to a mobile pregnancy help center offering free care in an RV in St. Louis, she was told the pregnancy could be saved.

By the time she saw Zahedi-Spung days...Read more

Doctors have long recommended daily aspirin for years as a low-cost protection against cancers of the lower bowel.

New research suggests there might not be a dependable benefit for low-risk patients. However, the drug can increase the risk of dangerous bleeding by preventing clotting, according to a report published in the Cochrane Library Feb....Read more

For nearly 60 years, crisis pregnancy centers have been a pillar of the anti-abortion movement.

Largely staffed by volunteers or part-time workers, these centers — sometimes referred to as pregnancy resource centers — offer limited services related to pregnancy and are guided by a religious mission to stop people from considering abortion. ...Read more

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A week after Florida cut nearly 12,000 people off the state program providing affordable access to life-saving HIV/AIDS medication, state senators are making a last-minute move to fund the program in full for the next few months.

The Florida Department of Health blindsided lawmakers in January when it announced a plan to ...Read more

Thinking about certain types of alcohol can alter your mood and trigger certain mindsets, especially among young consumers. For instance, tequila calls up a party mindset, whiskey activates a masculine mindset, and wine primes a sophistication mindset.

Those are the key takeaways of a new study my team and I published in the journal ...Read more

Patients who are prescribed higher daily doses of the medication buprenorphine for opioid use disorder are significantly more likely to stay in treatment. Those on 17 to 24 milligrams averaged 190 days in care compared to 90 days for those on 8 milligrams or less. Yet Black patients are less likely than white patients to receive the higher ...Read more

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has positioned himself as a national public health leader by staking out science-backed policies in contrast with the Trump administration.

After Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fired Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Susan Monarez for refusing what ...Read more

It was a snowy afternoon in Bozeman, a city of nearly 60,000 nestled among the mountains of southern Montana. Temperatures hovered in the mid-30s.

The city’s mobile crisis team had just gotten a call about a man walking around outside without shoes. The man’s family told the team he was having a mental health crisis and wouldn’t come ...Read more

OTTUMWA, Iowa — Leisa and Kent Walker recently received a disturbing notice: The private company managing their son’s Medicaid coverage intends to cut nearly 40% of what it spends for caregivers who help him live at home instead of in a nursing home.

Sam Walker, 35, has severe autism and other disabilities. He is deaf and cannot speak. ...Read more

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota could soon legalize the therapeutic use of psilocybin mushrooms on a small scale, as lawmakers point to emerging research that suggests the psychedelic drug could help treat intractable mental illnesses.

A bipartisan group of state lawmakers is pushing to create a pilot program allowing for therapeutic use of the drug ...Read more

Most people know only two things about the appendix: You don’t need it – and if it bursts, you need surgery fast.

That basic story traces back at least to Charles Darwin, the English naturalist who developed the theory of natural selection. In “The Descent of Man,” he described the appendix as a vestige: a leftover from plant-...Read more

Traveling with children can be both a delight and a challenge. Whether traveling by car, plane or even internationally, unforeseen circumstances can throw a wrench into plans. Planning ahead can help you ensure the trip goes as smoothly as possible.

Here are some tips families can consider when planning for travel during spring break or any ...Read more

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I have a hand issue that's affecting my work. I’ve heard some hand surgeries can be done in the clinic without anesthesia or an operating room. Can you tell me more about them?

ANSWER: Hand and wrist problems can make everyday tasks — typing, gripping tools, lifting, even opening a door — painful and ...Read more