Stories by Lori Youmshajekian

Ozempic and just getting older take off muscle. New therapies could retain it

The weight you lose and the nausea you experience from GLP-1 drugs may be linked to common gene variants, but they can’t fully explain why some people lose more weight than others

A study in Sweden found that some antibiotics affected microbial diversity in the gut more than others

Obesity leaves a lasting imprint on fat and immune cells in ways that might make weight regain harder to avoid

Melatonin supplements have become a ubiquitous sleep aid, but research shows that benefits are modest, and the heart health effects of long-term use are unknown

Scientists look to genetics to explain why GLP-1 drugs work for some people but not for others

Experts say the strongest scientific studies identify three compounds that fight disease and inflammation

Some users of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs have been reporting strange changes in food preferences, such as a new dislike for meats or fried foods, and scientists are beginning to figure out why

Despite headlines, there were fewer food recalls in 2024 than in 2023, but more people died from food poisoning linked to outbreaks

Ozempic and similar GLP-1 weight-loss medications are designed to be a lifelong treatment. But a new study finds the majority of people who use these drugs quit after just two years

Scientists have created a ranking of grocery store items based on their degree of processing

Experts explain the differences between popular retinol products and the way they trigger molecular changes deep in the skin

A new generation of coffee concoctions on social media is putting the spotlight back on the drink’s possible weight-loss effects

Pugs, Boston terriers, bulldogs and boxers—dogs with less wolflike facial features are worse at conveying their feelings

A recent study found that eating ultraprocessed plant-based foods was linked to heart attack and stroke risk. But the devil is in the details

Scientists think they’ve cracked the long-standing mystery of attraction among particles with a similar charge

Extracting, freezing and retransplanting slices of hormone-producing ovarian tissue could postpone menopause, but some experts say it’s not effective enough—or necessary

See how climate disasters cause rippling effects far beyond the initial event

A missing mammal rediscovered in Indonesia, a speedy new species of dinosaur in Brazil, Ivory Coast chimpanzees that snoop on their neighbors, and much more in this month’s Quick Hits

A newly released image from the James Webb Space Telescope provides a detailed view of a star’s infancy

Deciphering a scorched scroll from ancient Herculaneum, unlikely flavors in climate-change-affected wine, an undiscovered ore found in China, and more in this month’s Quick Hits

In 2023 we learned that cats really are choosing to ignore humans and that—despite dogs getting all the glory when it comes to retrieving prowess—cats want to play fetch, too

It turns out that your chronological age really is just a number. What’s more important for knowing disease risk is the biological age of each of your organs

A recent study finds varying combinations of microbes in the vaginal microbiome may influence health outcomes such as risk of sexually transmitted disease and preterm birth