The headlines are compelling, with phrases like, “The Obesity Revolution,” and “A new ‘miracle’ weight-loss drug really works.” The before-and-after pictures are inspiring. People who have struggled for decades to shed pounds are finally finding an effective strategy.

The last few years saw breakthroughs in treatments for obesity, with new weight-loss medicines dominating recent news reports. The medicines, semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound), work by slowing stomach-emptying and decreasing appetite. They’re usually administered by weekly injection.

While many people may want to increase their muscle mass primarily to improve physical fitness, some are also after a more attractive physique.

Glutes, triceps, obliques and chest muscles are all desired. Biceps are, too. But often the most buzzed about muscle region that people are after is abdominal muscles. Men in particular frequently chase the chiseled six-pack, only to find that getting it is easier said than done.

If you swallow a piece of gum, it will stay in your stomach for seven years. Dropping food on the floor is okay to eat if it’s been less than five seconds. Cracking your knuckles is bad and can lead to arthritis and other joint problems. Do these sayings ring a bell? Maybe you’ve heard them growing up, or continue to hear them from kids, or adults, today. So, are these old-time sayings true? Here’s what experts and recent studies reveal.

The co-director of the Stanford Center for Sleep and Circadian Sciences dishes on the science (or lack therof) behind “falling back.”

Last spring, the Senate voted in favor of a bill called the Sunshine Protection Act. It would have made daylight saving time permanent in the United States, but it’s stalled out in the House of Representatives. We asked Stanford sleep medicine scientist Jamie Zeitzer about the pros and cons of changing our clocks.

“We can’t create more sunlight. There is a finite number of hours,” said Zeitzer. “The question is, do you want them to start earlier or extend slightly later in the day?”

The idea that a leaner body makes for a faster stride is common among distance runners. But it’s inaccurate and sets a dangerous ideal. Runners who are excessively lean are prone to injuries, infectious diseases, mental health problems and loss in bone density, said Michael Fredericson, MD, a professor of orthopaedic surgery who has served for decades as the Stanford University track team head physician. Female runners are more likely to suffer these effects, he noted.

During his career as the head team physician, Fredericson has seen so many athletes with problems related to low body weight — including bone stress injuries, menstrual irregularity and osteoporosis, or loss of bone density — he decided to study ways to prevent it.