Use of blockbuster anti-obesity drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound is growing, with about 1 in 8 adults in the U.S. saying they currently take the medications. But experts say the drugs alone aren't the answer. It takes lifestyle changes, too, including a healthy diet, physical exercise, adequate sleep and stress management to reap the biggest benefits from GLP-1s. The clinical trials of the drugs included structured lifestyle changes, which are advised along with every prescription. Experts say users should eat protein, drink water and exercise for about an hour each day.

In the Trump administration's campaign to promote healthy eating, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has not stopped at his slogan urging people to "eat re…

A new KFF survey shows many Americans who had Affordable Care Act marketplace health insurance last year are struggling with high health costs. The findings come three months after the expiration of enhanced tax credits that had offset most enrollees' monthly premiums. Thursday's poll of more than 1,000 of last year's ACA enrollees finds that more than half of those who re-enrolled are looking for ways to cut their spending. This includes cutting back on food and other household basics to afford health costs. One enrollee, 48-year-old Priscilla Brown in Florida, says she sometimes doesn't take her medicine for her Type 2 diabetes so that it will last longer. The poll also finds that 1 in 10 of last year's ACA enrollees dropped health insurance entirely.

The Food and Drug Administation is approving a generic drug for a very rare genetic disorder, but not for autism. On Tuesday, the U.S. agency said the drug helps children and adults who cannot get enough folate into the brain. That's a major turnaround from announcements made at a White House news conference in September. At that event, President Donald Trump and the FDA commissioner said the drug was under review for approval in patients with autism. FDA officials say they narrowed the review to the strongest evidence. They say that evidence supports use only in patients with a specific genetic mutation.

Doctors often advise exercising your brain to stay sharp but stretching your brain might be the better description. Research increasingly shows a variety of habits and hobbies offer a helpful cognitive workout. One recent study linked lifelong learning — things like reading, learning another language, playing chess — to slower cognitive decline, even postponing Alzheimer's for a few years. It's not proof. But experts say lifestyle changes that also include physical exercise, controlling blood pressure, good sleep and even a shingles vaccination offer a chance at slowing deterioration as we get older.